After the Irish-born horticulturist Bernard McMahon (sometimes spelled M’Mahon) (1775-1816), described as a botanist and seedsman who came to the U.S. in 1796 and was a nurseryman in Philadelphia
Species
nevinii
Named after the Reverand Joseph Cook Nevin (1835-1913), of Los Angeles, a brilliant linguist and botanical collector, one of the first to collect on Catalina Island
Nevin's barberry is a large, endangered shrub found only in California. There are only about
500 left.
Identification: Up to 4 meters tall. Leaves blue-green, spiny, small,
somewhat feather-shaped. Found between 800-2700 feet elevation. Flowers are yellow, and berries
are red.