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Barberry
Berberis nervosa
(Berberidaceae)
From a simple erect stem arises a cluster
of leaves and fascicles of bright yellow flowers. Each leathery
leaf consists of the rachis, or central axis, with prickly leaflets
on either side. When you encounter one along shaded slopes in
conifer forests check the flowers with a hand lens. You will
see six sepals, six petals, and six stamens that dehisce by
two uplifting flaps, all of which surround the single chambered
ovary that matures into a blue berry with a gray bloom.
DISTRIBUTION: Coniferous forests from NW Calif and the northern
Sierra Nevada to the San Francisco Bay Area and South Coast
Ranges; < 2000 m. |
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