Mahonia × toluacensis (Anon.) Ahrendt

The place of publication of this name is usually given as Gard. Chron. (1868), p. 435, where a writer signing himself ‘J. J.’ asked for information about a plant he had received from a nursery under this name, and believed to be of Mexican origin. It seems to have been overlooked that in the following year the same ‘J. J.’ published the following description: ‘Leaves 6–8 in. long, of 4–6 pairs of leaflets, with an odd one. Leaflets about 2 in. in length by 3⁄4 in. broad, they are ovate-lanceolate, sharp-pointed, sinuated, with 5–6 spiny teeth on each side. The foliage is much like that of Berberis fascicularis, but not quite so wavy and glaucous. The habit of the plant is more erect, throwing up straight shoots of some length from the base, but in other respects its appearance is such that it might be taken for one of the many garden forms of hybrids which have been raised from “fascicularis”. From the appearance of the leaves of this plant there seems to be no probability of its proving hardy.’ (Gard. Chron. (1869), p. 739.) The identity of this mahonia can only be guessed at, but it is at least full enough to prove that it cannot be the same as M. ‘Heterophylla’. It is conceivable that the plant described by ‘J. J.’ was really the Mexican form of M. pinnata (M. moranensis) and that it derived from seeds collected near Toluca, west of Mexico City.