432 



SYSTEMATIC BOTANY. 



Natural Order 8. Berbebidace^. — The Barberry Order 

 {figs. 849-852).— Character. — Shrubs, or herbaceous perennial 

 plants. Leaves alternate {ficf. 357), compound, usually exsti- 

 pulate. The leaves are frequently apparently simple, but in 

 such cases it will be found that the blade is articulated to 



Fig. 849. 



Fig. 850. 



Fig. 851, 



Fig. 852. 



Fig. 849. Diagram of the flower of 



Epimedium. Fig. 850. Vertical 



section of the flower of Epime- 

 dium. Fig. 851. Vertical section 



of the ovary of Berberis. Fig. 



852. Vertical section of the seed 

 of Berberis, with the embryo in 

 the axis surrounded by albumen. 



the petiole, which is evidence of their compound nature. (See 

 p. 150.) The stem is generally free from hairs and other 

 appendages of a similar character, but it is often spiny (fig. 

 357). These spines are nothing more than the hardened veins 

 of some of the leaves, between which the parenchyma is not 

 developed. Sepals 3, 4, or 6, deciduous, in two whorls (fig. 

 770). Petals equal to the sepals in number and opposite to 

 them (fig. 849), or twice as many, hypogynous. Stamens hy- 

 pogynous (fig. 851), equal to the petals in number, and opposite 

 to them (fig. 849) ; anthers 2-celled, each opening by a valve 

 from the bottom to the top (figs. 851 and 526). Car/?^ ^ solitary, 

 free, 1-celled (fig. 851); st^/le somewhat lateral (fig. 850); stig- 

 ma orbicular (fig. 851) ; ovules anatropal, attached to a sutural 

 placenta (figs. 850 and 851). Fruit haccate, or dry and capsular. 

 Seeds (fig. 852) usually with a minute embryo; albumen hetween 

 fleshy and horny. 



