The Berbery. 1 5 7 



large, rounded at the extremities, slightly curved, and 

 intensely but agreeably acid. Many curious botanical 

 particulars pertain to the berbery. The growth, while 

 young, is rapid. After a few years there comes a sudden 

 pause. Shoots and suckers from the base of the plant 

 still make their appearance, but no particular increase 

 takes place in the general dimensions of the plant, and 

 in this condition it remains indefinitely when undis- 

 turbed, it is thought for a possible two or three centuries. 

 At Castle Howard, there is a berbery shaped like a little 

 tree, with a trunk twelve to fifteen inches in diameter ! 

 The flowers are, for an exogen, remarkably exceptional, 

 consisting of six sepals and six concave petals, each in 

 two sets, an inner and an outer ; the filaments of the six 

 stamens follow the curve of the petals, reclining against 

 them languidly, but the instant they are touched at the 

 base, in front, they rise up as if animated ; finally, the 

 anthers open by lateral valves, like those of the bay-tree. 

 The spines themselves are of very curious nature, repre- 

 senting what might have been leaves, as proved by many 

 of them, upon vigorous shoots, having the spaces more 

 or less filled up with a web of green tissue. 



In the wild state this very interesting plant occurs in 

 thickets and open woods, ranging over the greater portion 

 of Europe and temperate Asia, and occurring upon the 

 Himalayas. It is from Asia that the name seems to 

 have been originally received. In Britain it is but doubt- 

 fully indigenous, though Gerard, temp. Queen Elizabeth, 

 speaks of a village called Iver, " two miles from Cole- 



