To Berberis Home

Berberis Flower Details

by Bob Harms  email-here
The tables below give measurements in millimeters for flower components that seem to reflect differences in the two species and the hybrids. Measurements that seem to typify B. trifoliolata are in red; those for B. swaseyi, in green; and those unique to those hybrids with longer pistils, in blue. Similarities are grouped when a difference of at least 0.4 millimeters for average measurements was found. Sepal 1 width, which did not seem significantly different for the two species, is given in black. Two different averages were given for B. swaseyi prophylls, which were of two types: scale-like (red) and leaf-like (green). Length/width ratios were computed, but only those for petals seemed significant.

Pistil, Stamens, Petals & Innermost Sepals

  pistil stamens petals sepal 1
length/width length widthlength width
B. trifoliolata
average 3.2 3.8 1.9 4.5 2.4 5.9 3.7
range 2.9-3.6 3.3-4.3 1.6-2.2 3.9-5.0 1.9-2.9 5.2-6.9 3.1-4.4
B. swaseyi
average 2.5 3.3 1.6 4.9 3.2 6.4 3.7
range 2.3-2.8 2.7-3.3 1.3-2.0 3.8-5.5 2.6-3.9 5.5-7.5 2.5-5.1
Hybrid - pistil < 2.8 mm
average 2.6 3.5 1.6 4.7 3.0 6.2 3.6
range 2.4-2.7 3.1-3.8 1.4-1.8 4.4-5.4 2.6-3.5 5.4-7.3 3.2-4.0
Hybrid - pistil > 2.7 mm
average 3.2 4.1 1.7 5.8 3.4 7.3 4.1
range 2.8-3.6 3.5-4.6 1.6-2.0 5.4-6.5 2.7-3.9 6.5-7.7 3.7-4.3

Outer Sepals & Prophylls

  sepal 2 sepal 3 prophylls
length width length width length width
B. trifoliolata
average 4.3 2.7 2.3 1.9 1.4 1.3
range 2.6-5.9 1.5-4.0 1.8-3.2 1.0-2.9 0.8-1.9 0.8-1.6
B. swaseyi
average 5.3 3.5 3.6 2.5 1.5  ,  3.3 1.0  ,  1.9
range 4.0-6.6 2.6-4.7 2.5-4.7 1.7-3.6 1.1-6.7 0.4-2.5
Hybrid - pistil < 2.8 mm
average 5.1 3.4 3.2 2.7 1.6 1.1
range 4.5-5.8 2.9-3.9 2.5-4.5 1.7-4.4 1.1-2.0 1.0-1.2
Hybrid - pistil > 2.7 mm
average 5.8 3.7 3.4 2.9 2.1  
range 4.6-6.8 2.7-4.1 2.7-3.9 2.4-3.3 1.7-2.3  
    *The uppermost two prophylls when attached to the receptacle or immediately below it.