Mahonia nervosa Pursh
dull Oregon-grape (Cascade barberry)
Berberidaceae (Barberry family)
Introduction to Vascular Plants
dull Oregon-grape (Cascade barberry)
Berberidaceae (Barberry family)
Introduction to Vascular Plants
Species Information
General:
Evergreen shrub from a rhizome; stems branched, erect, 10-60 cm tall, leafy; bark and wood yellowish.
Leaves:
Evergreen, hollylike, turning reddish in the fall, alternate, pinnate; leaflets 9-19, palmately nerved, with spiny teeth.
Flowers:
Inflorescence of clustered racemes up to 20 cm long; flowers yellow, the segments in 6's.
Fruits:
Clustered berries 8-11 mm in diameter, blue, glaucous, with a few large seeds, edible.
USDA Species Characteristics
Flower Colour:
Yellow
Blooming Period:
Mid Spring
Fruit/Seed characteristics:
Colour: Blue
Present from Spring to Summer
Source: The USDA
Habitat and Range
Mesic to dry open slopes and open forests in the lowland, steppe and montane zones; common in SW BC, infrequent eastward in S BC; S to CA.Status Information
Synonyms
Synonyms and Alternate Names:
Berberis nervosa Pursh
Berberis nervosa var. mendocinensis J.B. Roof
Mahonia nervosa var. mendocinensis (J.B. Roof) J.B. Roof
Odostemon nervosus (Pursh) Rydb.
Taxonomic Keys
Taxonomic Key to Mahonia
1. Leaflets usually 9-19, palmately nerved.....................................M. nervosa 1. Leaflets usually 3-11, pinnately nerved 2. Leaves more than twice as long as broad, mostly with 12-29 prominent spiny teeth; leaflets 5-11; plants 0.5-4.5 m tall.......................M. aquifolium 2. Leaves less than twice as long as broad, with 15-43 inconspicuous, spiny teeth; leaflets 3-7; plant 0.1--.6 m tall.........................M. repens |