Berberis darwinii is a species of barberry in the family Berberidaceae,[1] native to southern South America in southern Chile and adjacent southwestern Argentina. Common names include Darwin's Barberry and (Chilean Spanish) Michay.
It is an evergreen thorny shrub growing to 3-4 m tall, with dense branches from ground level. The leaves are small oval, 12-25 mm long and 5-12 mm broad, with a spiny margin; they are borne in clusters of 2-5 together, subtended by a three-branched spine 2-4 mm long. The flowers are orange, 4-5 mm long, produced in dense racemes 2-7 cm long in spring. The fruit is a small purple-black berry 4-7 mm diameter, ripening in summer.
B. darwinii was discovered (in Western science) in South America in 1835 by Charles Darwin during the voyage of the 'Beagle'; however, the berries of this species were consumed by prehistoric native peoples[2] in the Patagonian region over millennia. The species was one of many named in honour of Darwin.[3]
It is a popular garden and hedging shrub in the British Isles and Ireland. The Royal Horticultural Society has given the species its Award of Garden Merit. The edible fruit is very acidic.
References
- Chilebosque: Berberis darwinii [1] Retrieved Aug. 2008
- C.Michael Hogan (2008) Cueva del Milodon, The Megalithic Portal, ed. A. Burnham [2]
- New York Academy of Sciences, Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, Published by The Academy, 1909
Line notes
- ^ Chilebosque, 2008
- ^ C.M. Hogan, 2008
- ^ New York Academy of Sciences, 1909
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