Mahonia haematocarpa
Encyclopedia
Mahonia haematocarpa is a species of barberry
known by the common name red barberry. It is also sometimes called algerita, but that name is more often applied to its relative, Mahonia trifoliolata
. It is native to the southwestern United States and northern Mexico, where it grows in desert chaparral
and woodlands, such as in the Mojave Desert
of California
.
This is an erect evergreen shrub
growing up to 4 meters (~12 ft.) tall. The leaves are several centimeters long and are each made up of a few thick, waxy, lance-shaped leaflets with spiny toothed edges.
The inflorescence
s bear 3 to 5 bright yellow flowers, each with nine sepal
s and six petals all arranged in whorls of three. The fruit is a juicy, edible yellow-orange or pink berry
just under a centimeter wide.
Mahonia
Mahonia is a genus of about 70 species of evergreen shrubs in the family Berberidaceae, native to eastern Asia, the Himalaya, North America and Central America. They are closely related to the genus Berberis. Botanists disagree on the acceptability of the genus name Mahonia...
known by the common name red barberry. It is also sometimes called algerita, but that name is more often applied to its relative, Mahonia trifoliolata
Mahonia trifoliolata
Mahonia trifoliolata is a species of flowering plant in the family Berberidaceae that is native to Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona in the United States and northern Mexico. Common names include Agarita, Agrito, Algerita, Currant-of-Texas, Wild Currant, and Chaparral Berry...
. It is native to the southwestern United States and northern Mexico, where it grows in desert chaparral
Chaparral
Chaparral is a shrubland or heathland plant community found primarily in the U.S. state of California and in the northern portion of the Baja California peninsula, Mexico...
and woodlands, such as in the Mojave Desert
Mojave Desert
The Mojave Desert occupies a significant portion of southeastern California and smaller parts of central California, southern Nevada, southwestern Utah and northwestern Arizona, in the United States...
of California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
.
This is an erect evergreen shrub
Shrub
A shrub or bush is distinguished from a tree by its multiple stems and shorter height, usually under 5–6 m tall. A large number of plants may become either shrubs or trees, depending on the growing conditions they experience...
growing up to 4 meters (~12 ft.) tall. The leaves are several centimeters long and are each made up of a few thick, waxy, lance-shaped leaflets with spiny toothed edges.
The inflorescence
Inflorescence
An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Strictly, it is the part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed and which is accordingly modified...
s bear 3 to 5 bright yellow flowers, each with nine sepal
Sepal
A sepal is a part of the flower of angiosperms . Collectively the sepals form the calyx, which is the outermost whorl of parts that form a flower. Usually green, sepals have the typical function of protecting the petals when the flower is in bud...
s and six petals all arranged in whorls of three. The fruit is a juicy, edible yellow-orange or pink berry
Berry
The botanical definition of a berry is a fleshy fruit produced from a single ovary. Grapes are an example. The berry is the most common type of fleshy fruit in which the entire ovary wall ripens into an edible pericarp. They may have one or more carpels with a thin covering and fleshy interiors....
just under a centimeter wide.