Berberis oiwakensis (Chinese Holly Grape)

Berberis oiwakensis (Mahonia lomariifolia is one of its many synonyms) is a shrub or tree up to 7m tall. Leaves are up to 45cm long, compound with 12-20 pairs of leaflets plus a larger terminal one, dark green above, yellow-green below. The inflorescence is a fascicled raceme up to 25cm long. The berries are egg-shaped, dark blue, sometimes almost black, up to 8mm long.

The plant is native to Taiwan, China, Hong Kong, Tibet and Myanmar, where it occurs at elevations of 600-3,800 m. It has recently been found naturalized in South Africa.