Berberis barandana Vidal (1886: 45)

Yu, Chih-Chieh & Chung, Kuo-Fang, 2014, Systematics of Berberis sect. Wallichianae (Berberidaceae) of Taiwan and Luzon with description of three new species, B. schaaliae, B. ravenii, and B. pengii, Phytotaxa 184 (2), pp. 61-99 : 92-95

12. Berberis barandana Vidal (1886: 45) .Type:— PHILIPPINES. Luzon, Mt. Province, Distr. Lepanto, Iloeas N. Luzon, November 1884, Vidal 1911 (K-000644928!, lectotype (designated by Ahrendt 1961), isolectotypes A- 00038831!, MA-728006, n.v., image seen) ( Fig. 11D–H ).

Evergreen shrub ca. 1.5–2.5 m tall. Mature stems brown, subterete, not verruculose. Spines 3-fid, concolorous, 0.8–1.7 cm. Leaves subsessile; leaf blade elliptic, abaxially pale green not pruinose, adaxially dark-green; 3.8–7.6 × 0.9–2.4 cm, leathery; midvein abaxially raised and adaxially impressed, lateral veins slightly raised, the secondary veins pinnate, jointly looped; base cuneate to cuniform, margins remotely spinose with spinules of 4–12 with 2–6 mm apart on each side, apex acuminate. Inflorescence a fascicle, 1–12-flowered. Bracts 2 if present, narrowly-ovate, yellow partially red 1.5 × 1 mm. Pedicel pale green, 1.2–3 cm. Bracteoles absent, 2 or 3, red or yellow with reddish tinge narrowly-ovate 1.5 × 1 mm. Flowers bright yellow. Sepals in 4 whorls, the outermost sepals yellow with reddish tinge narrowly-ovate to elliptic 2.5 × 1.5 mm, outer sepals yellow usually with reddish tinge ovate to elliptic 3.5 × 2.5 mm, middle sepals yellow obovate 4.5 × 3 mm, inner sepals yellow obovate 5 × 4.5 mm. Petals obovate to elliptic, 4.5 × 3.5 mm, base clawed with a pair of ovoid nectaries close to each other, apex incised or acutely emarginated. Stamens pale yellow ca. 4 mm, anther connective stamen of distinct produced, apex truncate. Pistil 5 mm long. Ovules 4. Berries black, ellipsoid ca. 7 × 4.5 mm, more or less pruinose, stylose ca. 0.5–1 mm.

Phenology: — Flowering January and March; Fruiting April–May, October–January.

Distribution & habitat: — Berberis barandana is large shrub up to 1.5 m tall distributed in the mountainous areas of the Mountain and Benquet Provinces of Luzon in the Philippines, occurring on margins of cloud forest, sunny slopes and along roadsides, from 1800 to 2900 m.

Proposed IUCN conservation status: —Vulnerable [VU B1ac (ii, iii)]. Berberis barandana is almost always found associated with cloud forest, a highly threatened ecosystem in the Philippines due to rapid deforestation. We hereby propose a provisional IUCN category of VU for the species ( IUCN 2012).

Notes: The original set of Vidal’s specimens in Manila, including the holotype of Berberis barandana (Vidal 1911) , was destroyed in a fire in 1897 ( Stafleu & Cowan 1986, Calabrese & Velayos 2009). In revising the genus, Ahrendt (1961: 65) designated an isotype at K as the lectotype (“ Type K ”), rendering the isotypes at MA ( Calabrese & Velayos 2009) and A as isolectotypes. This Filipino endemic species had been allied with B. kawakamii ( Merrill 1923) ; however, B. barandana can be easily distinguished from the latter by its ovate outermost sepals. LaFrankie (2010) also documents an unauthenticated report of B. wallichiana DC. (as B. ‘ wallichii ’) in the Philippines as well as a possible new species from Zambales Mountains, Luzon, neither with any specimen details. However, B. wallichiana is endemic to Nepal ( Adhikari et al. 2010).

Additional specimens examined: — PHILIPPINESS. Luzon Island : Benguet Province , Mt. Sto Tomas , 12 October 1904, Williams 1347 ( US), 2440 m, 3 December 1953, van Steenis s.n. (PNH), Walker 7536 ( US), 2200 m, 13 May 2006, Yang 17998 (TNM), Barangay Lab-ang Resthouse Relay Station , 2200 m, 31 January 2012, Chung 1958 (HAST). Mountain Province , Distr. Lepanto, Mt. Data , November 1905, Merrill 4506 ( US), 4607 ( US), 1800 m, 2 April 1946, Alcasid 7 (PNH), Mt. Data Watershed , 1800 m, 1 February 2012, Chung 1984 (TAI). Bontoc Province , 26 October 1974, Apolinarno 251 (UPLB). Mt. Nangaoto , 2300 m, 23 February 1948, Sulit 2529 (PNH). Mt. Pauai, 5 February 1948, Sulit 2351 (PNH), 2250 m, 28 April 1960, Sulit 10733 (UPLB), 10734 (UPLB). Mt. Pulog, January 1909, Curran et al. 80140-2 ( US), 2900 m, 11 March 1948, M. Celesto s.n. (PNH), 2650 m, 12 June 1965, Poicho 19829 (UPLB), 19808 (UPLB) .

Figures

FIGURE 11. Berberis kawakamii Hayata (A–C) and B. barandana S. Vidal (D–H). A. Flowering branches. B. Flowers, showing the reddish, narrow-triangular outer sepals. C. Stylose, ellipsoid fruits. D. Habitat and habit. E. Fruiting branches. F. Flower, exterior view, showing the bracteoles, and outermost sepals. G. Flower, front view, with parts of the petals removed. H. Flowering branch, showing the pair of bracts.A, B: Hohuanshan; C: Liwuchushan, courtesy of Chi-Kai Yang; D–H: Mt. Santo Thomas, Luzon, Philippines.