any evergreen berberidaceous shrub of the Asian and American genus Mahonia, esp M. aquifolium: cultivated for their ornamental spiny divided leaves and clusters of small yellow flowers
Word origin
C19: New Latin, named after Bernard McMahon (died 1816), American botanist
mahonia in American English
(məˈhoʊniə)
US
noun
any of a genus (Mahonia) of low evergreen shrubs of the barberry family, with clusters of yellow flowers followed by blue berries