Berberis. BERBERIDACEiE. 49 



front, capable of holding a grain of coffee. In our only ppccimcn, kindly 

 coinniunicated by Mr. Nuttall, the sutures are very distinct and have opened 

 at tiie suniinit. 



Menispermum smilacinum, DC. sijst. 2. p- 5H (Cissampelos smilacina, Linn.*?) 

 seems to be only M. Caiiadense with smoother leaves and more simple racemes than 

 usual. The number of petals is very inconstant in the latter species, there being 

 sometimes only four. The figure in Catesby (^Carol. 1. t. 51.) is probably Cocculus 

 Carolinus, and is certainly not a Menispermum. 



Order VI. BERBERIDACE7E. Vent. ; R. Br. 



BerberideK & Podopliyllacese of Authors. 



Sepals deciduous, 3-4-6, imbricated in two rows, often calyculate 

 with petaloid scales. Petals hypogynous, as many as the sepals and 

 opposite them ! or twice as many, frequently appendaged or glandular 

 at the base within. Stamens as many as the petals and opposite them ! 

 (twice as many in Podophyllum) : filaments short : anthers adnate, 

 extrorse, opening by recurved valves, (i. e. the face of each cell sepa- 

 rating elastically from the connectivum from the bottom to the top, 

 like a valve) except in Podophyllum. Ovary solitary, simple : style 

 continuous, often somewhat lateral or oblique : stigma orbicular or 

 peltate. Fruit baccate or capsular. Seeds 1 or few, rising from the 

 bottom of the cell, or numerous and attached to the ventral suture in 

 one or more rows, sometimes arillate. Embryo in the axis or near 

 the base of fleshy or horny albumen. 



Tribe I. BERBERIDE^. 



Embryo in the axis, and occupying nearly the whole length of i\\e 

 albumen : radicle long : cotyledons flat, elliptical. — Shrubs. Leaves 

 compound or reduced to a single leaflet, often stipulate. Flowers 

 yellow. Filaments irritable. 



1. BERBERIS. Linn.; GcBrtn.fr. t. 42. 



Sepals 6, usually 3-bracteoIate. Petals 6, commonly with 2 distinct glands 

 at the base. Stamens 6. Stigma orbicular, depressed, nearly sessile (rarely 

 a distinct style). Fruit a 1-9-seeded berry. Seeds erect. 



§ 1. Primary leaves changed to spines, in the axils of which the secon- 

 dary leaves (produced by the developement of the" leaf buds, and re- 

 duced to a single leaflet) are fascicled. — Berberis, Nutt. DC. 



1. B. vulgaris (Linn.) : branches mmutely dotted, with triple spines ; 

 leaves oval-obovate, closely serrate with bristly teeth ; racemes nodding, many- 

 flowered; petals entire; berries ohlong.— Willd. sp. 2. p. 227; Lam. ill. t. 



7 



