Berberis laurina

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Berberis laurina is a spiny, woody shrub in the barberry family. It grows up to about 2.5 meters tall and can be evergreen or semi-evergreen. The bluish-green leaves are simple, leathery, and usually alternate (sometimes whorled), 3–9 cm long; they may turn yellow or red in autumn and winter. The branches have yellowish thorns split into three arms, about 4 cm long. The plant bears drooping racemes of small light-yellow flowers (about 4 mm across) that are hermaphroditic. The fruit is a small bluish-black berry, 6–8 mm long, usually containing 1–3 seeds. Berberis laurina is native to Uruguay, southern Brazil, and the Misiones province in eastern Argentina. In Uruguay it’s called espina amarilla, and in Brazil it’s called espinho-de-judeu.