Illiyskei barberry
Berberis iliensis
Family: Berberidaceae
What it is like
A thorny shrub. It grows 2-3 m high. The thorny annual shoots are reddish-brown. The leaves and oblong and leathery. They can have lobes. The flowers are in large groups of yellow flowers. The flowers are 3-4 mm across. The fruit are light red berries. They are 6-7 mm long and 3-4 mm wide.
It is a threatened species.
Where it is found
It is a temperate plant. In Kazakhstan it grows on pebbles of river terraces. It can grow in sandy and salty soils. In western China it grows in dry regions and sandy places near rivers between 600-2,000 m above sea level.
Countries/locations it is found in
Asia, Central Asia, China, Kazakhstan
How it is used for food
Edible parts
Fruit