Biology:Berberis microphylla

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Short description: Species of plant
Calafate Flower

Berberis microphylla
Calafate-Berberis buxifolia.jpg
Calafate (Berberis microphylla)
Scientific classification edit
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Order: Ranunculales
Family: Berberidaceae
Genus: Berberis
Species:
B. microphylla
Binomial name
Berberis microphylla
Synonyms[1]
  • Berberis antucoana C.K.Schneid.
  • Berberis barilochensis Job
  • Berberis buxifolia Lam.
  • Berberis cristata (Lam.) Lavallée
  • Berberis cuneata DC.
  • Berberis dulcis Sweet nom. illeg.
  • Berberis heterophylla Juss. ex Poir.
  • Berberis inermis Pers.
  • Berberis magellanica Dippel
  • Berberis marginata Gay
  • Berberis minor J.R.Forst. ex DC.
  • Berberis morenonis Kuntze
  • Berberis parodii Job
  • Berberis rotundifolia Lindl. nom. illeg.
  • Berberis spinosa Comm. ex Decne.
  • Berberis spinosissima (Reiche) Ahrendt
  • Berberis tricuspidata Sm. ex DC.
Fruits in spring

Berberis microphylla, common name box-leaved barberry[2] and Magellan barberry,[3] in Spanish calafate and michay and other names,[4] is an evergreen shrub, with simple, shiny box-like leaves. The calafate is native to southern Argentina and Chile and is a symbol of Patagonia.[5][6][7][8][9][10]

The bush grows to a height of 1.0 to 1.5 m (3 ft 3 in to 4 ft 11 in). It has many arching branches, each covered in many tripartite spines. The bush has many small yellow flowers in summer. Its edible blue-black berries are harvested for jams, but are eaten fresh too - a legend tells that anyone who eats a calafate berry will be certain to return to Patagonia.[11]

The calafate is grown commercially for its fruit, potential medical uses[3] and as a garden plant or bonsai. Its wood is used to make a red dye. The cultivar Berberis microphylla 'Nana' is widely available as a garden shrub, and is also used in commercial plantings as a low spiny hedge to discourage intruders, but it does not fruit.[12]

Berberis microphylla should not be confused with Mahonia microphylla, native to China .[13]

References

  1. The Plant List: A Working List of All Plant Species, http://www.theplantlist.org/tpl1.1/record/kew-2674137, retrieved 3 January 2016 
  2. (xls) BSBI List 2007, Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland, https://bsbi.org/download/3542/, retrieved 2014-10-17 
  3. 3.0 3.1 Plants for a Future entry for Berberis buxifolia Lam., http://www.pfaf.org/user/plant.aspx?LatinName=Berberis+buxifolia, retrieved 3 January 2016 
  4. (in es) Berberis microphylla at FrutasdelBosque, https://frutasdelbosque.org/calafate/ 
  5. Ahrendt, L. W. A. (1961). Berberis and Mahonia. A taxonomic revision. J. Linn. Soc., Bot. 57(369): 1–410.
  6. Landrum, L. R. 1999 [2000]. Revision of Berberis (Berberidaceae) in Chile and adjacent southern Argentina. Ann. Missouri Bot. Gard. 86(4): 793–834.
  7. Hoffmann, A. (1982). Flora silvestre de Chile zona araucana. Edición 4. Ediciones Fundación Claudio Gay, Santiago, Chile. 258p.
  8. Landrum, L. R. (2003). Berberidaceae. En C. Marticorena y R. Rodríguez [eds.], Flora de Chile Vol. 2(2), pp 1–23. Universidad de Concepción, Concepción.
  9. Marticorena, C. & M. Quezada. (1985). Catálogo de la Flora Vascular de Chile. Gayana, Bot. 42: 1–157.
  10. Zuloaga, F. O. (1997). Catálogo de las plantas vasculares de la Argentina. Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard. 74(1–2): 1–1331.
  11. "El que come calafate ha de volver" (in es). http://www.patagoniachilena.com/historia/leyenda-come-calate-volver/. 
  12. {{citation | mode = cs1 | title = Berberis heterophylla | work = Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN) | url = https://npgsweb.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/taxonomydetail.aspx?6872 | publisher = [[Organization:Agricultural Research ServAgricultural Research Service (ARS), United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) | access-date = November 17, 2007 }}
  13. Flora of China Vol. 19 Page 778 小叶十大功劳 xiao ye shi da gong lao Mahonia microphylla T. S. Ying & G. R. Long

External links

Wikidata ☰ Q998775 entry