Mahonia trifoliolata
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''Mahonia trifoliolata'' is a species of
flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (), commonly called angiosperms. The term "angiosperm" is derived from the Greek words ('container, vessel') and ('seed'), and refers to those plants th ...
in the family
Berberidaceae The Berberidaceae are a family of 18 genera of flowering plants commonly called the barberry family. This family is in the order Ranunculales. The family contains about 700 known species, of which the majority are in ''Berberis''. The species ...
, in southwestern North America. Common names include agarita, agrito, algerita, currant-of-Texas, wild currant, and chaparral berry. The name Agarita comes from the Spanish verb agarrar, which means "to grab". The ending "-ita" is often added to little things, so agarita means "grabs a little". This was probably said because the bush is a bit scratchy but does not have significant spines. Typical characteristics are grey-green to blue-grey leaves, yellow flowers in February to April and the red berries appearing in May. The most important harvest organ are the berries, though the roots and seeds can also be used.


Distribution

The shrub is native to
Arizona Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...
,
New Mexico ) , population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano) , seat = Santa Fe , LargestCity = Albuquerque , LargestMetro = Tiguex , OfficialLang = None , Languages = English, Spanish ( New Mexican), Navajo, Ke ...
, and
Texas Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by ...
in the Southwestern United States, and across northeastern Mexico as far south as Durango and San Luis Potosí. It mainly grows in areas that it is native in; there is no cultivation in other countries. states. In Texas, it is found on rocky slopes and cliffs, and in thickets and open woods, from coastal South Texas northwest to the
Trans-Pecos The Trans-Pecos, as originally defined in 1887 by the Texas geologist Robert T. Hill, is the portion of Texas that lies west of the Pecos River. The term is considered synonymous with Far West Texas, a subdivision of West Texas. The Trans-Peco ...
region. It is one of the most common bushes in Hill Country. In Texas, it has reached areas of up to , but it is commonly seen as a pest there due to its rapid spread. Especially large coverage can be found on the
Edwards Plateau The Edwards Plateau is a geographic region at the crossroads of Central Texas, Central, South Texas, South, and West Texas. It is bounded by the Balcones Fault to the south and east, the Llano Uplift and the Llano Estacado to the north, and the ...
in Texas. Mechanical and chemical control have been attempted, but few economically viable results have been achieved due to agarita's quick recovery ability and its resistance to many herbicides. There are also no ethnographic records describing the use of the species ''Mahonia trifoliolata'', but a number of records indicate the use of '' Mahonia haematocarpa'' and ''
Mahonia repens ''Mahonia repens'' commonly known as creeping mahonia, creeping Oregon grape,Neil L. Jennings creeping barberry, or prostrate barberry, is a species of '' Mahonia'' native to the Rocky Mountains and westward areas of North America, from British ...
'' by the Native Americans of the Plains. Virtually every part of the plant has been used for food, medicine and dye throughout history.


Description

''Mahonia trifoliolata'' is an
evergreen In botany, an evergreen is a plant which has foliage that remains green and functional through more than one growing season. This also pertains to plants that retain their foliage only in warm climates, and contrasts with deciduous plants, whic ...
shrub that grows up to tall and wide. It has rigid and spreading branches, often forming thickets.Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center Native Plant Information Network (NPIN) treatment of ''Mahonia trifoliolata'' (Agarita, Agarito, Algerita, Laredo mahonia)
/ref> The foliage is gray-green to blue-gray, and the leaflets have sharp points at the ends.


Taxonomy and cultivars

Several authorities consider the entire genus ''
Mahonia ''Mahonia'' is a genus of approximately 70 species of evergreen shrubs and, rarely, small trees in the family Berberidaceae, native to eastern Asia, the Himalaya, North and Central America. They are closely related to the genus ''Berberis'' and ...
'' as part of ''
Berberis ''Berberis'' (), commonly known as barberry, is a large genus of deciduous and evergreen shrubs from tall, found throughout temperate and subtropical regions of the world (apart from Australia). Species diversity is greatest in South Amer ...
'', in which case the scientific name becomes ''Berberis trifoliolata''.Flora of North America, vol 3.
/ref> Among the species native to Texas (Mahonia trifoliolata), agarita has three less common strains: The Texas barberry ( Mahonia swaseyi), the red barberry ( Mahonia haematocarpa), and the creeping barberry (
Mahonia repens ''Mahonia repens'' commonly known as creeping mahonia, creeping Oregon grape,Neil L. Jennings creeping barberry, or prostrate barberry, is a species of '' Mahonia'' native to the Rocky Mountains and westward areas of North America, from British ...
). The Texas barberry is relatively rare and is found only in a handful of Texan counties. The red barberry is native to the Southwestern United States and grows in juniper woodlands and desert grasslands. The creeping barberry grows at high elevations amidst aspen conifers and is mostly found in the
Rocky Mountains The Rocky Mountains, also known as the Rockies, are a major mountain range and the largest mountain system in North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch in straight-line distance from the northernmost part of western Canada, to New Mexico ...
. All four strains have edible berries, but the fruit of the creeping barberry is dark blue, while the berries of the Texas and the red barberry are bright red.


Uses

The plant is well adapted to hot temperatures and dry conditions. In areas where it occurs naturally, it is also liked by many wild animals. Birds like to eat the fruits, small mammals use the plant for cover. The shrub is also considered to be a good nectar source for honey bees and other insects. As the trifoliate leaves are tough and spiny, they aren't eaten by cattle or deer. The bright red edible fruits of the agarita can be harvested around late April to early May. The fruits contain a slightly sweet and sour juice; when expelled, the juice can be used to produce an agarita wine or consumed as a fruit juice drink. The berries can also be used for jelly, pie or cobblers; the tart flavor is reported to be pleasant to eat when mixed with sugar. The fruits contain seeds and can be used to germinate new agarita plants, or be roasted as a coffee alternative. However, a high quantity of seeds makes raw consumption difficult. Native Americans of the Apache, Chiricahua, and
Mescalero Mescalero or Mescalero Apache ( apm, Naa'dahéńdé) is an Apache tribe of Southern Athabaskan–speaking Native Americans. The tribe is federally recognized as the Mescalero Apache Tribe of the Mescalero Apache Reservation, located in south-cen ...
tribes used the fresh and preserved fruit for food, and the wood shavings as a traditional eye medicine and a yellow dye for hides. During early pioneering years, the
alkaloid Alkaloids are a class of basic, naturally occurring organic compounds that contain at least one nitrogen atom. This group also includes some related compounds with neutral and even weakly acidic properties. Some synthetic compounds of similar ...
berberine Berberine is a quaternary ammonium salt from the protoberberine group of benzylisoquinoline alkaloids found in such plants as ''Berberis vulgaris'' (barberry), '' Berberis aristata'' (tree turmeric), '' Mahonia aquifolium'' (Oregon grape), '' Hyd ...
in the agarita roots was used to make a yellow dye. Agarita also has uses in medicine; its medicinal value is created mainly by the alkaloids in the roots, and throughout history, it was used to treat ailments ranging from fevers to stomach troubles and open wounds. It was also used as a laxative by the Ramah Navajo and other groups native to the
Pacific Northwest The Pacific Northwest (sometimes Cascadia, or simply abbreviated as PNW) is a geographic region in western North America bounded by its coastal waters of the Pacific Ocean to the west and, loosely, by the Rocky Mountains to the east. Tho ...
. The roots are known to possess antiseptic qualities and are therefore used to treat wounds, skin or gum problems.


Cultivation

''Mahonia trifoliolata'' is cultivated as an
ornamental plant Ornamental plants or garden plants are plants that are primarily grown for their beauty but also for qualities such as scent or how they shape physical space. Many flowering plants and garden varieties tend to be specially bred cultivars that ...
for use in desert-region gardens. ''Mahonia trifoliolata'' is exceptionally drought and heat tolerant. Thus, they also grow in dry periods without being watered. It usually grows best in full sun, but it can also be cultivated in light shade. Additionally, the plant is not very cold tolerant and is therefore especially grown in places where winters are short and mild. The plant can be reproduced generatively with the seeds. The seeds need a cold stratification of two to three months. Therefore, it can be sown through summer or autumn and the seeds then germinate in spring. As it is a
Perennial plant A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives more than two years. The term ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the years") is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. The term is also wide ...
, it doesn't need to be sown yearly and has a very long lifespan. ''Mahonia trifoliolata'' tolerates a variety of soil textures like Loam,
Clay Clay is a type of fine-grained natural soil material containing clay minerals (hydrous aluminium phyllosilicates, e.g. kaolin, Al2 Si2 O5( OH)4). Clays develop plasticity when wet, due to a molecular film of water surrounding the clay par ...
, clay-loam and Gravel. It usually grows very well in dry, well-drained soils. Usually, the plant occurs on soils derived from
Limestone Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms whe ...
parent material and therefore tolerates
Alkali soil Alkali, or Alkaline, soils are clay soils with high pH (greater than 8.5), a poor soil structure and a low infiltration capacity. Often they have a hard calcareous layer at 0.5 to 1 metre depth. Alkali soils owe their unfavorable physico ...
. There are not many known insect or disease problems in agarita. Sometimes leaf spots and
rust Rust is an iron oxide, a usually reddish-brown oxide formed by the reaction of iron and oxygen in the catalytic presence of water or air moisture. Rust consists of hydrous iron(III) oxides (Fe2O3·nH2O) and iron(III) oxide-hydroxide (FeO( ...
s - especially black
stem rust Stem rust, also known as cereal rust, black rust, red rust or red dust, is caused by the fungus ''Puccinia graminis'', which causes significant disease in cereal crops. Crop species that are affected by the disease include bread wheat, durum w ...
- may occur. Stem rust, caused by the fungus ''
Puccinia graminis Stem rust, also known as cereal rust, black rust, red rust or red dust, is caused by the fungus ''Puccinia graminis'', which causes significant disease in cereal crops. Crop species that are affected by the disease include bread wheat, durum ...
'', is an agriculturally important disease in
wheat Wheat is a grass widely cultivated for its seed, a cereal grain that is a worldwide staple food. The many species of wheat together make up the genus ''Triticum'' ; the most widely grown is common wheat (''T. aestivum''). The archaeologi ...
,
barley Barley (''Hordeum vulgare''), a member of the grass family, is a major cereal grain grown in temperate climates globally. It was one of the first cultivated grains, particularly in Eurasia as early as 10,000 years ago. Globally 70% of barley p ...
,
oat The oat (''Avena sativa''), sometimes called the common oat, is a species of cereal grain grown for its seed, which is known by the same name (usually in the plural, unlike other cereals and pseudocereals). While oats are suitable for human con ...
s, rye and
triticale Triticale (; × ''Triticosecale'') is a hybrid of wheat (''Triticum'') and rye (''Secale'') first bred in laboratories during the late 19th century in Scotland and Germany. Commercially available triticale is almost always a second-generation ...
. Since ''Mahonia trifoliolata'' acts as an intermediate host, farmers usually remove the bushes to reduce the prevalence of disease. In the regions where ''Mahonia trifoliolata'' is grown nowadays, the climate is too arid to allow for the cultivation of cereals; hence, there is no need to remove the agarita bushes. As the roots contain large amount of the alkaloid berberine, they inhibit some root fungi and are therefore relatively resistant to pathogens.


Biology


Growth, development, physiology

Reproduction occurs through seeds and sprouts. The seed is produced and dispersed during summer, it usually germinates in the following spring. Dispersal happens through a variety of
bird Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class Aves (), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the laying of hard-shelled eggs, a high metabolic rate, a four-chambered heart, and a strong yet lightweig ...
s and mammals. The sprouts represent the
vegetative reproduction Vegetative reproduction (also known as vegetative propagation, vegetative multiplication or cloning) is any form of asexual reproduction occurring in plants in which a new plant grows from a fragment or cutting of the parent plant or spec ...
; they usually grow from the
root In vascular plants, the roots are the organs of a plant that are modified to provide anchorage for the plant and take in water and nutrients into the plant body, which allows plants to grow taller and faster. They are most often below the su ...
s or the
root crown A root crown, also known as the root collar or root neck, is that part of a root In vascular plants, the roots are the organs of a plant that are modified to provide anchorage for the plant and take in water and nutrients into the plant body ...
. This growth is especially vigorous when the above ground vegetation is removed or damaged (through fires, cutting, etc.). The flowers usually bloom from February until March. The berries ripen from April to July, but peak ripeness is usually already reached in May.


Interactions: pests, diseases

Agarita is often used by birds as a nesting side or as protection from predators; it can also shelter seedlings of other trees and shrubs through their delicate stage, since grazing animals won't be able to get them. Birds eat the berries, while bees and butterflies commonly feed on the nectar found in the flowers. Since agarita blooms quite early, it represents one of the only nectar sources during the early spring.


Gallery

Image:Berberis trifoliolata form.jpg, Overall form Image:Berberis trifoliolata leaves.jpg, Leaf arrangement Image:Berberis trifoliolata in spring.jpg, Immature fruits in spring Image:Berberis trifoliolata berries.jpg, Ripe fruits


References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q10952007 trifoliolata Flora of Northeastern Mexico Flora of the Southwestern United States Flora of the South-Central United States Plants used in Native American cuisine Plants used in traditional Native American medicine Plants described in 1901 Garden plants of North America Flora without expected TNC conservation status