244 ON FLOWERING TREES AND SHRUBS. 



somewhat perfumed flavour ; and though rather too acid to be eaten 

 raw, it is excellent in pies and puddings. 



Ribes punctatum has bright yellow flowers, and fragrant ever- 

 green leaves. It is a native of Chili, introduced in 1826, and is 

 too tender to live without a wall in England. It is yet scarce, and 

 it has never ripened fruit in this country ; though, as it throws up 

 suckers, which no other gooseberry does, it is easily propagated. 

 It is very ornamental, and in warm sheltered situations it is cer- 

 tainly well worth cultivating. 



The Escallonias are pretty little shrubs, introduced since 1827; 

 the flowers of which, taken separately, bear some resemblance to 

 those of the currant. Escallonia rubra has red flowers, produced 

 singly, or in very small side bunches ; and E. montevidensis has 

 white flowers, produced in a large handsome terminal bunch- 



The family of flowering shrubs which may be considered next in 

 beauty to the currants consists of the Barberries and Mahonias : 

 these are very numerous, and they are all beautiful, though not 

 half so much cultivated as they deserve to be. Every body 

 knows the common barberry, (Berberis vulgaris), though but few 

 persons are aware of its numerous varieties, the fruit of some 

 which is sweet, — of others, seedless, — and of others yellow, white, 

 violet, black, or purple. The barberry bears rather a bad repu- 

 tation, from its alledged power of infecting corn growing near it 

 with the mildew. Modern botanists have, however, proved that 

 the parasitic plant, vulgarly called the mildew, which attacks the 

 barberry, is of a different genus to that which attacks wheat. 



The pretty South American barberry (Berberis dulcis), which 

 was introduced, in 1831 , from the Straits of Magellan, has droop- 

 ing, bell-shaped, yellow flowers, hanging on long footstalks. The 

 berries are sweet, round, and black, not unlike black currants. 

 The plant is quite hardy and evergreen. 



The Nepal barberries (Berberis floribunda, asiatica, and aris- 

 tata) are all very handsome bushes, and produce abundance of 

 flowers. The fruit of Berberis aristata, called Chitria by the 

 natives, is dried in Nepal, as grapes are in Europe to make raisins. 

 Berberis dealbata is a Mexican species, with evergreen leaves, 

 which are of a glossy greea above, and white below, and scarcely 

 any spines. This species is very scarce and dear, it being sold 

 last year at a guinea a plant. 



The common ash barberry (Mahonia aquifolium) has glossy, 

 hslly-like leaves, and upright racemes of rich yellow flowers ; it 



