Mahonia confusa Sprague

This species was considered by both Schneider and Takeda to be near to M. fortunei, which it resembles in its narrow leaflets tapered at the base and short inflorescences, but the leaflets are more numerous and closely spaced, with the lowermost pair inserted near the base of the rachis, against well above it in M. fortunei. It was described from a specimen collected in Hupeh and introduced by Roy Lancaster in 1980 from Mount Omei, where Wilson also found it. In the six years since it reached gardens it has thrived so well that home-raised seedling plants have already been distributed commercially. It is of value more for its foliage than for its flowers, and two forms have been noted, one with sea-green and the other with apple-green leaves. Being perfectly hardy, it may prove to be of value as a parent of hybrids. It has reached a height of 3 ft in cultivation (1986).