Berberis microphylla explained

Berberis microphylla, common name box-leaved barberry and Magellan barberry, in Spanish calafate and michay and other names, is an evergreen shrub, with simple, shiny box-like leaves. The calafate is native to southern Argentina and Chile and is a symbol of Patagonia.^{[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6]} Berberis microphylla should not be confused with Mahonia microphylla, native to China.^[7]

Description

The bush grows to a height of 1to. It has many arching branches, each covered in many tripartite spines. The bush has many small yellow flowers in summer. It produces blue-black berries.

Uses

Its edible blue-black berries are harvested for jams, but are eaten fresh too - a legend tells that anyone who eats a calafate berry will be certain to return to Patagonia.^[8] It is also used as an additive in alcoholic beverages such as calafate beer.^[9]

The calafate is grown commercially for its fruit, potential medical uses and as a garden plant or bonsai. Its wood is used to make a red dye. The cultivar Berberis microphylla 'Nana' is widely available as a garden shrub, and is also used in commercial plantings as a low spiny hedge to discourage intruders, but it does not fruit.

Notes and References

1. Ahrendt, L. W. A. (1961). Berberis and Mahonia. A taxonomic revision. J. Linn. Soc., Bot. 57(369): 1–410.
2. Landrum, L. R. 1999 [2000]. Revision of Berberis (Berberidaceae) in Chile and adjacent southern Argentina. Ann. Missouri Bot. Gard. 86(4): 793–834.
3. Hoffmann, A. (1982). Flora silvestre de Chile zona araucana. Edición 4. Ediciones Fundación Claudio Gay, Santiago, Chile. 258p.
4. Landrum, L. R. (2003). Berberidaceae. En C. Marticorena y R. Rodríguez [eds.], Flora de Chile Vol. 2(2), pp 1–23. Universidad de Concepción, Concepción.
5. Marticorena, C. & M. Quezada. (1985). Catálogo de la Flora Vascular de Chile. Gayana, Bot. 42: 1–157.
6. Zuloaga, F. O. (1997). Catálogo de las plantas vasculares de la Argentina. Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard. 74(1–2): 1–1331.
7. http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=2&taxon_id=250096506 Flora of China Vol. 19 Page 778 小叶十大功劳 xiao ye shi da gong lao Mahonia microphylla T. S. Ying & G. R. Long
8. Web site: El que come calafate ha de volver. live. Patagoniachilena.com. es. https://web.archive.org/web/20110605192319/http://www.patagoniachilena.com:80/historia/leyenda-come-calate-volver/ . 2011-06-05 .
9. Lemoine . María Laura . Fontana . Ulises . Hurtado . Jazmín B. . Pintos . Federico M. . Arena . Miriam E. . Vicente . Ariel R. . Rodoni . Luis M. . 2021-12-16 . WILD BARBERRY FRUIT (Berberis microphylla G. Forst.) AS A NATURAL INGREDIENT FOR BEER BREWING . Chilean Journal of Agricultural & Animal Sciences . en . 37 . 3 . 313–324 . 10.29393/CHJAAS37-32WBML70032 . 0719-3890. 11336/164839 . free .