Common names:
Agarita, chaparral berry, currant of Texas, agrito
Family:
Scientific name:
Berberis trifoliolata
Synonym:
Mahonia trifoliolata
Main flower color:
Range:
South Arizona, south New Mexico and Texas
Height:
Up to 11 feet
Habitat:
Desert scrub, grassland; flats and slopes, from near sea level to 6,500 feet
Leaves:
Trifoliate, on stalks of up to 2 inches. Leaflets lined by 1 to 3 pairs of teeth. Terminal leaflet up to 2 inches long
Season:
February to April
Berberis trifoliolata, a spineless evergreen shrub, is most widespread in Texas, especially in the central region, the Hill Country; it is also found in southern New Mexico, and a few places in southern Arizona. The thick, rigid leaves are trifoliate, with each leaflet attached at the same point. Leaf surfaces, upper and lower, are dull gray-green. The terminal leaflet is up to three times as long as wide. Leaflets are lined by one, two or three pairs of sharp-pointed lobes, or teeth.
The inflorescence is a relatively loose cluster, containing from one to eight flowers. The six-petalled lowers are orange in bud, becoming yellow when mature. Fruits are spherical, bright red berries, produced in May.
The inflorescence is a relatively loose cluster, containing from one to eight flowers. The six-petalled lowers are orange in bud, becoming yellow when mature. Fruits are spherical, bright red berries, produced in May.
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