aquifoli – holly (Latin), which these leaves resemble

Native range: W. North America

Leaves:

• alternate
• pinnately compound
• 5-9 leaflets (2-4 pairs)
• undulate
• spiny-toothed
• no spines on branches
• shiny on upper surface
• each leaflet with one central vein (vs. 3 in M. nervosa)
• pinnately nerved from the mid-vein
• 12-29 spiny teeth

Flowers:

• inflorescence in clusters on short stalks
• axillary
• 2-3” long
• yellow
• 3-parted

Fruit:

• berry
• dark purple

Other characteristics:

• erect, stiff-branched evergreen
• shrubs 3-8 ft.
• bark is bright yellow inside (due to the alkaloid berberine)

Relevant info:

• often found in full sun
• shredded bark of stems and roots was used by First Nations weavers to make a bright yellow dye for basket materials
• Oregon’s state flower

Ecology & Adaptations:

• widely distributed throughout Washington, southern British Columbia south to Northern California, east to northern Idaho and western Montana
• found in sagebrush slopes and open woods
• drier, more open, (often rocky) sites than M. nervosa
• resistant to summer drought – waxy coating retains water
• tolerant of nutrient-poor soils – evergreen leaves conserve resources and preserve investment in photosynthetic tissues
• reproduces vegetatively via stolons only occasionally
• pollination by insects and birds
• seed dispersal by birds that consume food
• herbivory defense – thick, waxy spiny leaves deter herbivores