Berberis orthobotrys

Berberis orthobotrys Bienert ex Aitch., J. Linn. Soc., Bot. 19: 150 1882.;
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N. Iran to S. Turkmenistan, Afghanistan to Nepal: Afghanistan, Iran, Nepal, Pakistan, Turkmenistan, West Himalaya as per POWO;
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Spiny deciduous shrub, about 1-2 m tall. Stem sulcate, dark red to pale brown, glabrous, internodes short, about 1-3.5 cm long, spines short, usually 3 fid, yellowish orange, about 1-2.5 cm long. Leaves arranged up to 3-5 in a node with variable size, obovate, oblanceolate, 1-3.5 x 0.4-0.7 cm across, base attentuate, margin with small spinules, apex acute or subacute with mucronate tip, subcoriaceous, dark green, glabrous above, paler slightly subpruinose grayish beneath, lateral veins on either side of the midrib, impressed above, prominently veined on midrib beneath, petiole subsessile or 2-5 mm long. Inflorescence racemose, subumbellate-racemose, subfascicled-racemose or rarely compound, 5-20 flowered, peduncled. Flowers bisexual, yellow, about 6-10 mm across, pedicels about 5-15 mm long, bracts lanceolate or ovate, apex acute, about 3 x 1 mm long, sepals in 3 series, outer series smallest and inner series largest, outer series sepals, linear-lanceolate, apex acute, about 3.5-4 x 1.3-1.5 mm across, median series sepals about 6 x 3.5 mm across, inner series sepals about 7 x 5 mm across, petals obovate, subequal, apex emarginated, about 6 x 4 mm across. Stamens about 4 mm long, connectives absent, ovary simple, ovules 3-5. Fruits are several seeded berries, obovoid-oblong, glabrous, red when ripe, about 7-11 x 5-6 mm across, estylose. Seeds usually 3 seeded, about 3 mm long.
Mixed forests, altitude of about 2000-3500 m.
(Attributions- Ganeshaiah, K. N., UAS, Bangalore, India.; Kailash, B. R., ATREE, Bangalore, India.; Royal Norwegian Embassy grants. Indian Bioresource Information Network (IBIN), Department of Biotechnology, New Delhi, India as per India Biodiversity Portal)
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Berberis pseudoumbellata for validation from Kashmir-GS06072021-3:
Berberis pseudoumbellata for validation from Kashmir University Botanical Garden, photographed on 19-5-2012;