Berberidaceae FAMILY

Mahonia nervosa

Edibility

3/5

Medicinal

2/5

Safety & Hazards

All parts of the plant contain the alkaloid berberine - this is most concentrated in the roots, stems and inner bark, and least concentrated in the fruits. In small quantities berberine has a range of effective medicinal applications but, in excess, can cause vomiting, lowered blood pressure, reduced heart rate, lethargy, and other ill-effects. The fruit of most, if not all, members of this genus are more or less edible and can be eaten in quantity since the levels of berberine in the fruit are very low.

Botanical Description

Mahonia nervosa is an evergreen shrub usually growing 10 - 80cm tall, occasionally reaching 200cm. Suckering from the base, the plant spreads to form a loose clump of several stems[ 1050 Title Fire Effects Information System Publication Author Website http://www.feis-crs.org/feis/ Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description An on-line information site with comprehensive information on over 1,100 species of plant. Mainly developed to supply information on the effects of fire on plants and animals, it also contains a wealth of other information on the plants ].. The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food and a medicine. It is sometimes grown as an ornamental, where it can be used to provide ground cover in shady situations.

Habitat & Origin

Origintemperate

Native RangeWestern N. America - southern British Colombia, Washington, Oregon, California.

HabitatLight dry woods and rocky ledges[ 60 Title Vascular Plants of the Pacific Northwest. Publication Author Hitchcock. C. L. Publisher University of Washington Press Year 1955 ISBN - Description A standard flora for Western N. America with lots of information on habitat etc. Five large volumes, it is not for the casual reader. , 67 Title Berberis and Mahonia. Publication Author Ahrendt. Publisher Journal of the Linnean Society, 57 Year 1961 ISBN - Description Not for the casual reader, it lists all the known species in these two genera together with botanic descriptions and other relevant details for the botanist. ]. Open or shaded woods, often in rocky areas; at elevations up to 1,800 metres[ 270 Title Flora of N. America Publication Author Website http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/fna/ Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description An on-line version of the flora with an excellent description of the plant including a brief mention of plant uses. ].