''Berberis microphylla'', common name box-leaved barberry and Magellan barberry, in

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Cana ...

calafate and michay and other names, is an evergreen shrub, with simple, shiny

box A box (plural: boxes) is a container used for the storage or transportation of its contents. Most boxes have flat, parallel, rectangular sides. Boxes can be very small (like a matchbox) or very large (like a shipping box for furniture), and can ...

-like leaves. The calafate is native to southern

Argentina Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...

and

Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east a ...

and is a symbol of

Patagonia Patagonia () refers to a geographical region that encompasses the southern end of South America, governed by Argentina and Chile. The region comprises the southern section of the Andes Mountains with lakes, fjords, temperate rainforests, and gl ...

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

berries A berry is a small, pulpy, and often edible fruit. Typically, berries are juicy, rounded, brightly colored, sweet, sour or tart, and do not have a stone or pit, although many pips or seeds may be present. Common examples are strawberries, raspb ...

are harvested for

jam Jam is a type of fruit preserve. Jam or Jammed may also refer to: Other common meanings * A firearm malfunction * Block signals ** Radio jamming ** Radar jamming and deception ** Mobile phone jammer ** Echolocation jamming Arts and entertai ...

s, but are eaten fresh too - a legend tells that anyone who eats a calafate berry will be certain to return to Patagonia. The calafate is grown commercially for its fruit, potential medical uses and as a garden plant or

bonsai Bonsai ( ja, 盆栽, , tray planting, ) is the Japanese art of growing and training miniature trees in pots, developed from the traditional Chinese art form of ''penjing''. Unlike ''penjing'', which utilizes traditional techniques to produce ...

. Its wood is used to make a red

dye A dye is a colored substance that chemically bonds to the substrate to which it is being applied. This distinguishes dyes from pigments which do not chemically bind to the material they color. Dye is generally applied in an aqueous solution an ...

. The

cultivar A cultivar is a type of cultivated plant that people have selected for desired traits and when propagated retain those traits. Methods used to propagate cultivars include: division, root and stem cuttings, offsets, grafting, tissue culture, ...

''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. ''Berberis microphylla'' should not be confused with ''

Mahonia microphylla ''Mahonia microphylla'' is a shrub in the Berberidaceae first described as a species in 1999. It is endemic to Guangxi Province in China. The species is listed as vulnerable. ''Mahonia microphylla'' should not be confused with '' Berberis micr ...

'', native to

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...

.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
/ref>

References

External links

microphylla Flora of Argentina Flora of southern Chile Crops originating from the Americas Plants described in 1789 {{Ranunculales-stub