BEEBERIDACEiE. (BAEBEERT FAMILY.) 19 



5 cleft, the divisions variously lobed; pedicels and dull bluish flowera Qenacly velvety 

 pubescent. 



D. nudicaule, Torr. & Gr. Distinguished by its red flowers. 



6. ACONITUM, Tourn. Monkshood.* 



Sepals 5, colored and petal-like, very irregular; the upper one arched into a hood oi 

 helmet, which conceals the spur-like blades of the upper pair of petals. General appear- 

 ance similar to DelpJunium. 



1. A. Columbiauum, Nutt. Sufficiently characterized by the generic description. 

 Rare. 



7. PiEONIA, L. 



Sepals 5, herbaceous. Petals 5 to 10. Stamens inserted on a fleshy disk. Pistils 

 2 to 5. Fruit leathery follicles. Perennial herbs with compound leaves. 



1. P. Brownii, Dougl. Leaves thick, 1-2-temately compound, the leaflets temately 

 and pinnately lobed, glaucous; petals leathery, dull, dark red, about equaling the sepals. 



• Obder 2. BERBERIDACEiE. 



Shrubs or herbs, with compound alternate exstipulate leaves; flowers -remarkable for 

 having the bracts, sepals, petals and stamens before each other, instead of alternating. 



Low shrubs, with rigid pinnate leaves and small yellow flowers Berberis. 1 



A fem-hke herb, with white flowers Vancouveria. 2 



1. BERBERIS, L. Babberrt. 



Sepals, petals, and stamens 6 each, with 3 or 6 bractlets. Carpel 1, forming a berry. 

 Smooth shrubs, with yellow wood, and yellow flowers in bracteate racemes. 



* Leaflets pinnately veined. 



1. B. repens, Lindl. Less than a foot high; leaflets 3 to 7, ovate, acute, 1 to 2 J 

 inches long, not shiny above; short racemes terminating the stems. 



2. B. Aquifolium, Pursh. 2 to 4 ft. high ; leaflets 7 or more, the lower pair distant 

 from the stem, 1^ to 4 inches long, shining above, spiny; racemes chiefly clustered in 

 Bubterminal axils. 



3. B. pinnata. Lag. Like the last species, but the leaves more crowded, and tha 

 lower pair of leaflets near the base of the petiole; usually 5 to 7 leaflets. 



* * Leaflets j)almateli/ nerved. 



4. B. nervosa, Pursh. Simple stems but a few inches high; leaves 1 to 2 ft. long, 

 of 11 to 17 leaflets. 



