522 WOODY PLANTS OF MASSACHUSETTS. 



yellow. But it is much sought for by turners, on the continent 

 of Europe, on account of its unusual and beautiful color. The 

 pith is white. 



The barberry is found growing in exposed situations, on the 

 borders of woods and along road-sides, in gravelly soil, in many 

 parts of Massachusetts and New England, along the coast ; as 

 also in Canada and Newfoundland. 



The remarkable irritability in the stamens of the common 

 barberry, as well as in those of some other species, was first 

 noticed by Kolreuter. " The stamens, when the filament is 

 touched on the inside with the point of a pin, or any other hard 

 instrument, bend forward towards the pistil, touch the stigma 

 with the anther, remain curved for a short time, and then par- 

 tially recover their erect position. This is best seen in warm, 

 dry weather. After heavy rain, the phenomenon can scarcely 

 be observed, owing, in all probability, to the springs of the fila- 

 ments having been already set in motion by the dashing of the 

 rain upon them, or to the flowers having been forcibly struck 

 against each other. The cause of this curious action, like that 

 of all other vital phenomena, is unknown. All that has been 

 ascertained concerning it is this, that the irritability of the fila- 

 ment is affected differently by different noxious substances. It 

 has been found, by Messrs. Macaire and Marcet, that if a ber- 

 berry is poisoned with any corrosive agent, such as arsenic or 

 corrosive sublimate, the filaments become rigid and brittle, and 

 lose their irritability ; while, on the other hand, if the poisoning 

 be effected by any narcotic, such as prussic acid, opium, or bel- 

 ladonna, the irritability is destroyed by the filaments becoming 

 so relaxed and flaccid, that they can be easily bent in any direc- 

 tion. It is difficult to draw from this curious fact any other 

 inference than this, viz., that in plants, as well as in animals, 

 there is something analogous to a nervous principle, which is 

 more highly developed in some plants, or in some organs, than 

 in others." — Lindley in Loud. Arb. 300. 



The barberry is found in most parts of America and Europe. 

 In Poland, it is used to tan leather, which it at the same time 

 dyes a fine yellow color. The tannin principle is found in the 

 bark, and the coloring matter both in the bark and in the wood 



