Berberales.] 



BERBERIDACE.^.. 



437 



Order CLIX. BERBERIDACE^.— Berberids. 



Berberideae, Vent. Tabl. 3. 83. (1799) ; DC. S>,st.2. 1. (1821) ; Prodr. 1. 105. (1824) ; Endl. Gc-«.chxix. 



Meisner Gen. 6. 



Diagnosis.— ^erScm? Exorjens, with regular symmetrical flowers, suhcral pi acentce, stamens 

 o^yposite the petals, and recurved anther-valves. 

 Shrubs or herbaceous peremiial plauts, for the most pai't haii-less, but very ofteu 

 spuiy. Leaves alternate, compound, usually without stipules. Flowers soUtary, race- 



Fig, cccv. 



mose or panicled. Sepals 3-4-6, deciduous, in a double row, surrounded externally by peta- 

 loid scales. Petals hypogynous, either equal to the sepals in number, and opposite to them, 

 or t\vice as many, sometimes with an appendage at the base m the inside. Stamens 

 equal in number to the petals, and opposite to them ; anthers with two cells, opening 

 with a valve from the bottom to the top. Carpel soUtary, free, 1-celled ; style rather 

 lateral ; stigma orbicular ; ovules anatropal, attached to the suture, numerous, or in 

 pairs, ascending or suspended. Fruit berried or capsular. Seeds crustaceous or mem- 

 branous ; albumen between fleshy and homy ; embryo minute, occasionally as long as 

 the axis of the albumen. 



Fig. CCCV.— Berberis vulgaris. 1. stamen; 2. perpendicular section of a pistil with one stamen and 

 one petal adhering ; 3. cross section of the fruit ; 4. 5. perpendicular section of the seed of B. vulgaris and 

 B. Aquifolium. 



