Species

Berberis glaucocarpa

Etymology

Berberis: From the Arabic name berberys

Common Name(s)

barberry

Family

Berberidaceae

Flora Category

Vascular - Exotic

NVS Species Code

BERGLA

The National Vegetation Survey (NVS) Databank is a physical archive and electronic databank containing records of over 94,000 vegetation survey plots - including data from over 19,000 permanent plots. NVS maintains a standard set of species code abbreviations that correspond to standard scientific plant names from the Ngä Tipu o Aotearoa - New Zealand Plants database.

Structural Class

Dicotyledonous Trees & Shrubs

Habitat

Terrestrial.

Features

Glabrous, evergreen or semi-deciduous shrub to c. 7m high. Spines to 2.3 cm long, sometimes single, sometimes 3-partite. Lvs with short petiole to 5 mm long. Lamina up to 7.5 x 2.5 cm, oblanceolate but often very variable on one plant, spiny margins and shining above. Flowers yellow, sometimes with outer parts red-tinged, arranged in simple or compound racemes to 6 cm long. Berry 7-12mm long, broadly ellipsoid to subglobose, reddish black, with an obvious white bloom. Juice dark red with seed about 1mm long.

Similar Taxa

The combination of large spiny leaves, and 3-partite spines to 2.5 cm long distinguish B. glauccarpa from other berberis species naturalised in New Zealand. It also grows to about 7 m which is much taller than the other species.

Flowering

October, November

Flower Colours

Red / Pink,Yellow

Fruiting

December, January, February

Year Naturalised

1916

Origin

W Himalaya

Reason For Introduction
Ornamental

Life Cycle Comments
Perennial.

Reproduction
Seed.

Dispersal
Seed is dispersed by birds and vertebrates

Tolerances
Thought not to be as shade tolerant as other Berberis species. Requires moderate fertility.

This page last updated on 18 Jan 2010