Mahonia

? Mahonia
Mahonia japonica fruit
Plant Info
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae Division: Magnoliophyta Class: Magnoliopsida Order: Ranunculales Family: Berberidaceae Genus: Mahonia Nutt.
Species
About 70 species

Mahonia is a genus of about 70 species of evergreen shrubs in the family Berberidaceae, native to eastern Asia, the Himalayas, North America and Central America. They are closely related to the genus Berberis. Botanists disagree on the acceptability of the genus name Mahonia. Several authorities argue plants in this genus should be included in the genus Berberis because several species in both genera are able to hybridize, and because when the two genera are looked at as a whole, there is no definite morphological separation. For more information on this consult the Flora of North America. Mahonia typically have large, pinnate leaves 10-50 cm long with 5-15 leaflets, and flowers in racemes(5-20 cm long).

The genus name Mahonia honors the Philadelphia horticulturist Bernard M'Mahon who introduced the plant from materials collected by the Lewis and Clark Expedition.

The type species of the genus is Mahonia aquifolium, (Oregon-grape) from the Pacific coast of North America. The species name aquifolium attributes the leaf to be holly like and means wet foliage.

Several species are popular garden shrubs, grown for their ornamental evergreen foliage, yellow flowers in winter/early spring, and blue-black berries. The berries are edible, and rich in vitamin C, though with a very sharp flavor.

Selected species

North and Central America     Mahonia aquifolium Mahonia arguta Mahonia dictyota Mahonia eutriphylla Mahonia fremontii Mahonia gracilis Mahonia haematocarpa Mahonia nervosa Mahonia nevinii Mahonia pinnata Mahonia pumila Mahonia repens Mahonia swaseyi Mahonia toluacensis Mahonia trifolia Mahonia trifoliolata

Asia Mahonia bealei Mahonia bodinieri Mahonia bracteolata Mahonia breviracema Mahonia conferta Mahonia confusa Mahonia decipiens Mahonia duclouxiana Mahonia eurybracteata Mahonia fordii Mahonia fortunei Mahonia gracillipes Mahonia hancockiana Mahonia japonica Mahonia leptodonta Mahonia lomariifolia Mahonia longibracteata Mahonia mairei Mahonia monyulensis Mahonia napaulensis Mahonia nitens Mahonia oiwakensis Mahonia repens Mahonia setosa Mahonia sheniii Mahonia sheridaniana Mahonia siamensis Mahonia taroneasis Mahonia veitchiorum

Hybrids and Cultivars:

• 

  Mahonia × media
  (Cultivar)

• 

  Mahonia - Golden Abundance

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