Berberis napaulensis Nepali: जमाने मान्द्रो is a shrub in the family Berberidaceae described as a species in 1821. It is native to China (Tibet, Yunnan, Guangxi, and Sichuan) and the Himalayas (Nepal, Bhutan, Sikkim, Assam, Myanmar).[1][2] This species is used medicinally throughout the Sikkim Eastern Himalayas.[3]

Berberis napaulensis
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Order: Ranunculales
Family: Berberidaceae
Genus: Berberis
Species:
B. napaulensis
Binomial name
Berberis napaulensis
Synonyms
  • Chelone bradburyi (Pursh) Steud.

Description edit

 
Labeled as Mahonia duclouxiana - San Francisco Botanical Garden

Berberis napaulensis is a shrub or small tree that can be 1–7 meters tall. Leaves are up to 61 centimeters long, with 5-12 pairs of leaflets plus a larger terminal leaflet, all shiny above, yellowish-green below. Flowers are yellow, borne in a large panicle. Berries are spherical, deep purple, 5–7 millimeters in diameter.[1]

Taxonomy edit

Berberis napaulensis was initially scientifically described and named by Augustin Pyramus de Candolle as Mahonia napaulensis in 1821.[4][5] As part of a long running debate between botanists on if Mahonia should be a synonym of Berberis, Kurt Polycarp Joachim Sprengel classified it as Berberis napaulensis in 1825.[4] A paper was published by Joseph Edward Laferrière in 1997 summarized the arguments in favor of Berberis as the correct classification. As of 2023 this is the most common classification by botanists.[4][6]

Subspecies edit

 
Berberis napaulensis

As of 2023 there are two recognized subspecies the former Mahonia pycnophylla and the autonym. There are botanical synonyms listed by Plants of the World Online for each of the subspecies recognized there, a very large number in the case of Berberis napaulensis var. napaulensis.

Berberis napaulensis var. napaulensis[7]

  • Berberis acanthifolia Wall. ex Walp.
  • Berberis annamica (Gagnep.) Laferr.
  • Berberis borealis (Takeda) Laferr.
  • Berberis borealis var. parryi (Ahrendt) Laferr.
  • Berberis dolichostylis (Takeda) Laferr.
  • Berberis duclouxiana (Gagnep.) Laferr.
  • Berberis duclouxiana var. hilaica (Ahrendt) Laferr.
  • Berberis flavida (C.K.Schneid.) Laferr.
  • Berberis flavida var. integrifoliola (Hand.-Mazz.) Laferr.
  • Berberis gautamae Laferr.
  • Berberis griffithii (Takeda) Laferr.
  • Berberis intermedia (A.Vilm.) Anon.
  • Berberis keikoe Laferr.
  • Berberis leschenaultii Wall. ex Wight & Arn.
  • Berberis longlinensis (Y.S.Wang & P.G.Xiao) Laferr.
  • Berberis manipurensis (Takeda) Laferr.
  • Berberis miccia Buch.-Ham. ex D.Don
  • Berberis napaulensis var. leschenaultii (Wall. ex Wight & Arn.) Hook.f. & Thomson
  • Berberis pomensis (Ahrendt) Laferr.
  • Berberis salweenensis (Ahrendt) Laferr.
  • Berberis siamensis (Takeda) Laferr.
  • Berberis tsailunii Laferr.
  • Mahonia acanthifolia Wall. ex G.Don
  • Mahonia annamica Gagnep.
  • Mahonia borealis Takeda
  • Mahonia borealis var. perryi Ahrendt
  • Mahonia dolichostylis Takeda
  • Mahonia duclouxiana Gagnep.
  • Mahonia duclouxiana var. hilaica Ahrendt
  • Mahonia flavida C.K.Schneid.
  • Mahonia flavida f. integrifolia Hand.-Mazz.
  • Mahonia griffithii Takeda
  • Mahonia intermedia A.Vilm.
  • Mahonia leschenaultii (Wall. ex Wight & Arn.) Anon.
  • Mahonia longlinensis Y.S.Wang & P.G.Xiao
  • Mahonia mairei Takeda
  • Mahonia manipurensis Takeda
  • Mahonia napaulensis var. leschenaultii (Wall. ex Wight & Arn.) Fedde
  • Mahonia nepalensis DC. ex Dippel
  • Mahonia pomensis Ahrendt
  • Mahonia salweenensis Ahrendt
  • Mahonia siamensis Takeda
  • Mahonia sikkimensis Takeda

Berberis napaulensis var. pycnophylla (Fedde) Laferr.[8]

  • Mahonia napaulensis var. pycnophylla Fedde
  • Mahonia pycnophylla (Fedde) Takeda

Ecology edit

In Chiang Mai Province, Thailand, a species of rust fungus Pucciniosira cornuta (synonym of Gambleola cornuta Massee (1898)) infects Berberis nepalensis.[9]

Traditional uses edit

In the Nilgiris, it is of religious and medicinal importance to the native Toda people of Tamil Nadu, who call it "Thovari" in their language. They use a paste made of the bark as a Traditional medicine remedy for women immediately after childbirth. The Toda also use a water extracted from the leaves to purify their temples after women have entered them, as women are forbidden from Toda temples.[10]

References edit

  1. ^ a b Flora of China Vol. 19 Page 779 尼泊尔十大功劳 ni bo er shi da gong lao Mahonia napaulensis Candolle
  2. ^ Flora of China, vol 19, 2011.
  3. ^ O'Neill, A. R.; Badola, H.K.; Dhyani, P. P.; Rana, S. K. (2017). "Integrating ethnobiological knowledge into biodiversity conservation in the Eastern Himalayas". Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine. 13 (1): 21. doi:10.1186/s13002-017-0148-9. PMC 5372287. PMID 28356115.
  4. ^ a b c "Berberis napaulensis (DC.) Spreng". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 14 November 2023.
  5. ^ Candolle, Augustin Pyramus de. 1821. Regni Vegetabilis Systema Naturale 2: 21
  6. ^ Laferrière, Joseph Edward (1997). "Transfer of Specific and Infraspecific Taxa from Mahonia to Berberis (Berberidaceae)". Botanicheskii Zhurnal. 82 (9): 95–98. Retrieved 8 November 2023.
  7. ^ "Berberis napaulensis var. napaulensis". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 14 November 2023.
  8. ^ "Berberis napaulensis var. pycnophylla (Fedde) Laferr". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 14 November 2023.
  9. ^ Ono, Yoshitaka; Okane, Izumi; Unartngam, Jintana; Ayawong, Chanjira (May 2021). "Pucciniosira cornuta found on Berberis nepaulensis in Thailand.". Rust flora of East and Southeast Asia. Vol. 62. pp. 31–34. doi:10.18962/jjom.jjom.R02-16. {{cite book}}: |journal= ignored (help)
  10. ^ Rajan, Sheelu; Sethuraman, M (1992-07-01). "Mahonia leschenaultii—A Toda plant". Ancient Science of Life. 12 (1–2): 242–4. PMC 3336628. PMID 22556593.