ttEXANDRIA. MONOGYNIA. 211 



Shrubs with alternate leaveS) often collected in fasci- 

 ties, surrounded at the base by imbricated gemmaceous 

 scales, and subtended by a simple ortrifid spine; flowers 

 issuing from the middle of the fascicles, racemose, subco- 

 rymbose or solitary. (1 he sensitive property existing in 

 the filaments of this genus appears to be mechanically 

 accounted for by Persoonj who remarks, that the filaments 

 at first adhere to the glands, and afterwards rise up with 

 elasticity; in the following genus, liowever, where no 

 glands exist, the character of sensibility alone must be 

 admitted.) 



Species. 1. B. canadensis. Older branches covered 

 witli small verrucose punctures; spines trifid; leaves 

 rather small, oblong-obovate, distantly serrate; racemes 

 simple, recurved, subcorjTnbose; leaves of the cahx very 

 unequal, 3 interior, oboval, tv/ice the length of the exte- 

 rior; berry subglobose. — Obs. A smaller and later flower- 

 ing species than B. vulgaris, from which it is sufficiently 

 distinct. Stems and roots yellow; spines trifid, divaricate. 

 Racemes partly corymbose, liorizontal or recurved, not 

 pendulous, lower pedicells often near an inch long. Flow- 

 ers mostly bibracteate, and of an agreeable odor; leaves 

 of the calix paler than tlie corolla, yellow, conspicuously 

 unequal, exterior oval, about half the length of the inte- 

 rior, interior cuneate-oboval, longer than the corolla. Pe- 

 tals cuneate-oval, bifidly emarginate, deep yellow, biglan- 

 dular near the base. Filaments of the stamina irritable. 

 G.erm 2 to 4-seeded. Berry subglobose, seldom oblong, 

 miniate, 2 rarely 3-seeded.—HAB. On the Aliegiiany moun- 

 tains, from Canada to Georgia; also in Tennessee, where 

 it appears almost sempervirent. 



Of this genus, which like Hibes may be considered sub- 

 alpine, there is 1 species in Europe, extending to the Le- 

 vant, and as far as Lebanon in Syria, a second indigenous 

 to the isle of Crete, and i?. sibirica to the Altaic Alps; 

 but the mountains of South America already afford no 

 less than 12 species of this interesting genus, several of 

 them peculiar to the frigid climate of the Straits of Ma- 

 gellan, and the rocks of Terra del Fuego. 



3or. ^MAIIONIA.f 



Calix 6-leaved, unequal* Fdals 6. Mda- 

 riferous s;lands none. Filaments irritable, eacli 



+ In memory oi ti). late Mr. Hernard McMahon, whose ar- 

 dent attachment to Botany, and successful introduction of use- 

 ful and ornamental horticulture into the United States, lays 

 claim to public esteem. 



