62 KEY AND FLORA 



A. spica'ta L. var. argu'ta Torr. Berries generally bright red, 

 oblong or roundish, not quite so large as green peas, falling off 

 soon when ripe. This grows in shady woods and the fruit ripens in 

 late summer. It is considered poisonous. Widely distributed, on 

 the coast and in the mountains. 



IX. P^O'NIA, Paeony 



Stems several, from fleshy roots, erect at first, bending over 

 in fruit. Leaves thrice-compound, leaflets cut into several seg- 

 ments. Flowers solitary at the ends of the stems. Sepals 5. 

 Petals 5, concave, hroivnish red. Stamens many on a disk. 

 Fruit of 2-5 leathery follicles cojitaining several large seeds. 



a. P. Califor'nica Nutt. Leaves of pedate outline, scarcely glaucous. 

 Southern California. 



h. P. Brow'nii Dougl. Leaves cordate-ovate in outline, very glaucous. 

 From the higher Sierra Nevada Mountains to Oregon. 



BERBERIDAXE^. Barberry Family 



Herbs or shrubs with pinnately compound leaves ; bracts, 

 sepals, petals, and stamens opposite each other instead of 

 alternating. Anthers opening by little valves hinged at the 

 top. Pistil simple. 



I. BER'BERIS, Barberry, Oregon Grape 



Flowers yellow, in clustered racemes with bracts. Sepals 6, 

 petal-like. Petals and stamens 6. Leaves odd-pinnate, ivith 

 stiff spiny-toothed leaflets. Fruit, in our species, a dark blue 

 berry. Wood yellow. 



a. B. re'pens Lindl. Oregon Grape. Less than a foot high, 

 from slender woody rootstocks. Leaflets 3-7, not shining, somewhat 

 glaucous, racemes iew, terminal. Northern California to Alaska. 



b. B. aquifo'lium Pursh. Often 5 or 6 ft. high ; lea/lets 7-9, bright 

 green and glossy, sinuate-dentate. Racemes terminal. Fruit nearly 

 round. In the Sierra Nevada Mountains from Kern County north- 

 ward. 



