

46 



BERBERIS coriaria. 



The Tanner's Berberry. 



HEXANDRIA MONOGYNIA. 

 Nat. ord. Berberace.*:. 

 BERBERIS. Botanical Register, vol. 6. fol. 487- 



B. coriaria ; spirris validis tripartitis, foliis sempervirentibus lanceolatis obo- 

 vatisque iutegerrimis v. aristato-serratis utrinque viridibus, racemis pen- 

 dulis cylindraceis multifloris, fructibus oblongis rubris glabris. 



B. coriaria. Royle ined. 



There are now several Nepal Berberries in our gardens, 

 all handsome shrubs. The first that came over was B. asiatica, 

 the Hill raisin of the Nepalese, with coarsely veined leaves, 

 short racemes, and fruit remarkable for the thick bloom that 

 overspreads its purple skin. Then we had B. aristata, a more 

 slender plant, with glossy fine-veined leaves, and long half- 

 corymbose racemes of flowers. Afterwards appeared the more 

 rare B. floribunda, with narrow graceful racemes of small 

 flowers, which clothe the axis of the inflorescence from the 

 very base. To these we have a fourth to add, called by Dr. 

 Royle B. coriaria, but as yet unpublished ; it has narrow lan- 

 ceolate leaves, firmly netted, green on both sides, for the most 

 part entire, but occasionally furnished with bristle-pointed 

 teeth. From B. asiatica it differs in its finely veined leaves 

 and larger flowers ; from B. aristata in its more lanceolate 

 leaves and shorter less corymbose racemes ; and from B. flori- 

 bunda in its short racemes, large flowers, and much smaller 

 foliage. Its red fruit, without bloom, affords another mark 

 of recognition. 



How far it is to be distinguished from B. Lycium, the 

 Xvklov lvSlkov of Dioscorides, according to Dr. Royle, I am 

 less able to say, not possessing any authentic specimen of that 



