An Encyclopedia of Horticulture. 



181 



B£RARDIA (named after M. Berard, a Professor 

 of Chemistry at Montpelier). Okd. Compositw. A genns 

 containing: a single species, confined to the high mountains 

 of Western Europe. It makes a pretty rock plant, and 

 grows best in thoroughly well-drained spots amongst rocky 

 debris. Propagated by seeds, soivn in spring. 



B.subacaulis (almost stemless). f. -heads wliitish, solitary, very 

 l.irge. [, rnunded oval, ne.arly heart-sliaped at h.-ise, cottony. 

 h. 3in. or lin. (A. F. P. 3,38.) 



BERBEIlIDACXiiE. An order of shrubs or herba- 

 ceous perennials. Flowers terminal or axillary, usually 

 racemose ; sepals three, foirr, or si.^ in a double row ; petals 

 as many or double in number ; stamens four to eight, 

 opposite the petals. Fruit, a berry or capsule. Leaves 

 alternate, compound. The order contributes a great number 

 of handsome plants to our gardens. Well-known genera 

 are Berberis, EpimediHm, and Nandina. 



BBRBERIDOPSIS (from Berheris, the Barberry, 

 and opsis, like ; resembling the Barberry). Ord. Berheri- 

 daceoe. A handsome evergreen shrub, with climbing habit. 

 Sepals and petals nine to fifteen ; outer small, spreading ; 

 intermediate orbicular, concave ; inner obovate-cuneate, 

 erect, inserted upon the fleshy torus. Stamens eight to 

 nine, free. With a slight winter protection, or planted at 

 the foot of a south wall, it will prove quite hardy, being of 

 easy culture in ordinary garden soil. It is an excellent 

 plant for the cool greenhouse. Increased by seeds, which 

 should be sown in spring ; by layering, in autumn : or by 

 young cuttings, in spring. 



Fig. 243. Flowering Br.\nches of Berberidopsis coralli.n 



B. corallina (ciiral-red).* Jl. crimson, in terminal, drooping 

 racemes, leafy at the base. I. abor.t 3in. long, alterv.ate, simple, 



Berberidopsis — continued. 



petiolate, oblong-cordate, obtuse or acute, spiny-toothed. Chili, 

 1862. See Fig. 243. (B. M. 5343.) 



BERBERIS {Berberys is the Arabic name of the frnit, 

 signifying a shell ; many authors believe this to be tlie 

 original derivation of the word, because the leaves are 

 hoUow, like a shell). Barberry. Okd. Bei-heridacew. In- 

 cluding Mahonia. A genus of hardy erect or trailing shrubs. 

 Flowers yellow or orange, racemose or fascicled ; sepals and 

 petals similar, in two series. Leaves simple or compound, 

 alternate or fascicled from the non-development of the 

 branches, often spinose, or reduced to spines. The common 

 sorts thrive well in any ordinary garden soil, but the rarer 

 kinds require a compost of loam, peat, and a little sand. 

 Propagation may be effected by suckers or layers, put down 

 in the autumn ; by ripened cuttings, taken at the same 

 time, and planted in sandy soil, in a cold frame ; or by 

 seeds, sown in the spring, or, preferably, in the autumn, 

 when, if fresh from the pulp or berry, they will germinate 

 in the open in the following spring. The last-named is 

 the method generally adopted. 



B. AqLUifolium (Holly-leaved).* Jl. yellow ; racemes nearly erect, 

 much crowded. Spring. /., leaflets two to three pairs, with an 

 odd one, the lower part distant from the petiole ; ovate, approxi- 

 mate, cordate at the base, one-nerved, spiny-toothed, h. 3ft. to 

 6ft. North America, 1823. This is extensively planted in wood- 

 lands as an excellent covert plant. SVN. Mahonia aquifolia. 

 (S. E. B. 49.) 

 B. aristata (bearded). Jl. yellow; racemes nodding, many- 

 flowered, longer than the leaves ; pedicels trifld, three-flowered. 

 Spring. I. obovate-oblong or lanceolate, nuicronate, membranous, 

 smooth, serrated with four or five spinulose teeth ; 

 lower spines three-parted, upper ones simple, and hardly 

 liidentate at the base. h. 6ft. Nepaul, 1820. (B. R. 

 729, under name of B. Chilria.) 



B. asiatlca (Asiatic). /., racemes short, many-flowered, 

 corymbose, shorter than the leaves ; pedicels elongated, 

 one-flowered. I. oval, cuneated, or elliptical, mucronate, 

 smooth ; under surface glaucous, enthe, or spinulosely- 

 toothed ; spines trifid, or simple, h. 4ft. to 8ft. 1820. 

 Half-hardy. 



B. buxlfolia (Box-leaved).* Jl. solitary, on slender 

 peduncles. Spring. I. nearly sessile, oval or oblong, 

 about Vm. long, entire, h. 8ft. Strait-s of Magellan, 

 1830. iVnoft is a charming little variety, not exceeding 

 18in. in height. Sv.N. C. dulcis. (B. M. 6605.) 



B. canadensis (Canadian).* y/., racemes many-flowered, 

 nodding. Spring. I. obovate-obloug, remotely serrated ; 

 upper ones nearly entire ; spines three-parted, k. 4ft. 

 Canada, 1759. 



B. cratsegina (Hawthorn-like). /., racemes many- 

 flowered, crowded, spreading, scarcely longer than the 

 leaves. Spring. I. oblong, reticulated, hardly serrated ; 

 spines simple, h. 4ft. to 8ft. Asia Minor, 1829. 



B. cretlca (Cretan). /., racemes three to eight- 

 flowered, rather shorter than the leaves. Spring. I. 

 oblong-oval, entire, or somewhat serrated ; spines three 

 to flve-parted. h. 4ft. to 5ft. Crete and Cyprus, 1759. 

 The variety scrratifolia has leaves ciliately-serrated. 

 (S. F. t;. 342.) 



B. Darwinli (Darwin's).* Jl. orange, racemose, very 

 numerous. May, and sometimes again in autumn. 

 I. oval or oblong, about lin. long, with usually Bve 

 spiny teeth, h. 2ft. South Chili, 1849. This very fine 

 species is, perhaps, the best ; it forms a densely- 

 branched, spreading, evergreen bush, thus making an 

 excellent covert plant. (B. M. 4590.) 



B, dulcis (sweet). Synonymous with B. huxijolia. 



B. emarginata (emarginate). Jl., racemes scarcely 

 pendulous, shorter than the leaves. Spring. I. lanceo- 

 late-obovate, ciliately serrated; spines three-parted. 

 h. 6ft. Siberia, 1790. 



B. empetrlfolia (Empetrum-leaved).* Jl. few, ter- 

 miuHl, sub-umbellate, on slender pedicels. May. I. in 

 fafscicles of about seven, linear, closely revolute, 

 sharply mucronate. h. lift, to 2ft. Straits of Magellan, 

 1827. (B. B. 26, 27.) 



B, fascicularis (fascicled). Jl., racemes erect, much 

 crowded. Spring. I., leaflets three to six pairs, with 

 an odd one, the lower pair distant from the base of the 

 petiole ; ovate-lanceolate, rather distant, one-nerved, 

 spiny toothed, with four to five teeth on each side. 

 h. 6ft. to Bft. New Spain, 1820. Half-hardy. SvN. 

 Mahonia Jascicutaris. (B. M. 2396.) 

 B. Soribnnda (many-flo\yered).* jl., racemes many- 

 flowered, loose, solitary, pendulous. June. I. obovate-lanceolate, 

 or obovate-oblong, tapering much towards the base, ending in a 



