Mahonia

Ordinary Oregon grape ( Mahonia aquifolium)

The mahonias ( Mahonia ) are a genus of flowering plants in the family of Barberry ( Berberidaceae ). They are closely related to the barberry (Berberis ), and were classified by some botanists in this genus. Mahonias differ from the barberry, for example, in size, due to the lack of thorns and the feathery leaves. The genus was named in honor of the Irish-American gardener Bernard M'Mahon.

Description

Mahonias are evergreen bushes without thorns. The change-constant leaves are pinnate always unpaired and can be pedunculated or sessile. The leaflets are usually sessile and the edges can be smooth or serrated thorny.

The simple or branched inflorescences are racemose or ährig. The yellow flowers have three sepal circles and a Kronblattkreis. The berries are blue to black and contain few seeds.

Dissemination

Mahonias are in Asia, mostly native to eastern Asia, Southeast Asia and the Himalayas, as well as in North, Central America and western South America. Of the 31 species found in China 23 species are endemic.

The typical representative of the genus is the Ordinary Oregon grape ( Mahonia aquifolium ), which is home to the Pacific coast of North America. In the moderate latitudes it is planted as an ornamental in parks and gardens; in many areas it comes as a neophyte before wild.

Use

Some are popular garden shrubs Mahonienarten because of its decorative leaves, yellow flowers and blue - black berries. The berries of some species are edible and are suitable for making jam, jelly and fruit wine.

History of the genus Mahonia

Mahonia japonica was described as the first Oregon grape, at that time still under the name Ilex iaponica, the Swedish naturalist Carl Peter Thunberg 1784; the relationship of this new species with known species of the genus Berberis was not recognized here.

The first " barberry with pinnate leaves " - Mahonia pinnata today - was described in 1803 by Mariano Lagasca as Berberis pinnata. , 1817 carried out by Constantine S. Rafinesque - Schmaltz the description of the genus Mahonia today corresponding plant genus Odontostemon, but obviously not sat down.

The scientific genus name Mahonia was erected in 1818 by the American botanist Thomas Nuttall and honors the Irish-American gardener M'Mahon Bernard ( 1775-1816 ). At the time, the two species Mahonia aquifolium and Mahonia nervosa were taken including that had been described in 1814 by Frederick Traugott Pursh and initially assigned to the genus Berberis.

1824 Finally, six species of the plant genus Mahonia were described, including Mahonia japonica. Several authors combined in a row again Berberis and Mahonia, by mostly the genus Berberis with the subgenera Euberberis ( with simple leaves) and Mahonia ( with pinnate leaves ) proposed.

Differences between mahonias and barberries

The two plant genera Mahonia and Berberis are closely related; by some botanists they are placed together in the genus Berberis. However, mahonias differ from the barberry basically by always Rispige inflorescences, by always evergreen unpaired pinnate leaves, by the lack of thorns and the fact that the honey glands do not sit on the petals, but in pairs on the stamens, so that a division into two genera is justified.

Species

There are about 60 to 70 Mahonia species ( selection):

  • Ordinary Oregon grape ( Mahonia aquifolium ( Pursh ) Nutt. ), Origin: Canada, USA, naturalized in Europe.
  • Mahonia arguta Hutch.
  • Mahonia Dictyota ( Jeps. ) Fedde
  • Mahonia eutriphylla Fedde, Origin: Mexico.
  • Fremont's Mahonia ( Mahonia fremontii ( Torr. ) Fedde ), Origin: USA.
  • Mahonia gracilis Hartw. ex Benth.
  • Red and rather habanero Oregon grape ( Mahonia haematocarpa ( Wooton ) Fedde )
  • Annoying Oregon grape ( Mahonia nervosa ( Pursh ) Nutt. ), Origin: Canada, United States.
  • Mahonia nevinii A. Gray
  • Fiederblättrige Oregon grape ( Mahonia pinnata ( Lag ) Fedde ), Origin: USA. Mexico ( Baja California).
  • California Oregon grape ( Mahonia piperiana Abrams ), Origin: Northern California, Oregon.
  • Dwarf Oregon grape ( Mahonia pumila (Greene) Fedde ), Origin: California, Oregon.
  • Creeping Oregon grape ( Mahonia repens ( Lindl. ) G. Don ), Origin: Canada, United States.
  • Mahonia swaseyi ( Buckley ex M. J. Young) Fedde
  • Trifoliate Oregon grape ( Mahonia trifolia Cham & Schltdl. . ), Origin: Mexico.
  • Mahonia trifoliolata ( Moric. ) Fedde ( syn.. Berberis trifoliolata Moric. ), Origin: USA, Mexico.
  • Wagner Oregon grape ( Mahonia × wagneri ( Jouin ) Rehder )
  • Mahonia acanthifolia Wall. ex G. Don, Origin: Himalayas, Southwest China.
  • Beales Oregon grape ( Mahonia bealei ( Fortune ) Carrière ), Origin: China ( Hubei).
  • Mahonia berberidifolia P.G. Xiao & Y.S. Wang
  • Mahonia bodinieri Gagnep.
  • Mahonia borealis Takeda
  • Mahonia bracteolata Takeda
  • Mahonia breviracema Y.S. Wang & P.G. Xiao
  • Mahonia conferta Takeda
  • Late Oregon grape ( Mahonia confusa Sprague ), Origin: China.
  • Mahonia decipiens C.K. Cutting.
  • Mahonia duclouxiana Gagnep.
  • Mahonia eurybracteata Fedde
  • Mahonia fordii C.K. Cutting.
  • Small Oregon grape ( Mahonia fortunei ( Lindl. ) Fedde ), Origin: China.
  • Mahonia gracilipes ( Oliv. ) Fedde, Origin: China, (Mt. Omei in western Sichuan ).
  • Mahonia hainanensis C. M. Hu, Z.X. Li & F.W. Xing
  • Mahonia hancockiana Takeda
  • Japanese Oregon grape ( Mahonia japonica ( Thunb. ex Murray ) DC; Syn. Berberis japonica ( Thunb. ) R. Br ), only culture in Japan.
  • Mahonia leptodonta Gagnep.
  • Lomariablättrige Oregon grape ( Mahonia lomariifolia Takeda ), Origin: Myanmar, western China.
  • Mahonia longibracteata Takeda
  • Mahonia mairei Takeda
  • Mahonia × media C.D. Brickell (syn.: M. japonica × M. lomariifolia )
  • Mahonia monyulensis Ahrendt
  • Nepal - Oregon grape ( Mahonia napaulensis DC. ), Origin: Nepal
  • Mahonia nitens C.K. Cutting.
  • Mahonia oiwakensis Hayata
  • Mahonia setosa Gagnep.
  • Mahonia sheniii Chun
  • Mahonia sheridaniana C.K. Cutting.
  • Mahonia siamensis Takeda
  • Mahonia taronensis Hand. - Mazz.
  • Mahonia veitchiorum ( Hemsl. & E. H. Wilson) C.K. Cutting.

Pictures

Japanese Oregon grape ( Mahonia japonica)

Lomariablättrige Oregon grape ( Mahonia lomariifolia )

Creeping Oregon grape ( Mahonia repens )

Mahonia trifoliolata

Swell

Middle America (region) Gelatin dessert Constantine Samuel Rafinesque Mahonia × media Gustav Hegi
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