Pvonia.} I. RANUNCULACEJE. IS 



In hilly districts, in southern Europe and central Asia, irom the 

 Pyrenees to the Caucasus and Himalaya. Not indigenous to Britain, 

 but naturalised in the rocky clefts of the " Steep Holme" Island, in the 

 Severn. PL May or June. The variety there found is usually considered 

 as a species (P. corallina), the name of P. officinalis being reserved for 

 some of the garden Paeonies, which are, however, mostly varieties pro- 

 duced from this by cultivation. The half-shrubby Moutan is a very 

 distinct species, from China. 



The Magnolias and Tulip-trees of our plantations belong to the Mag- 

 nolia family, which has no European representative. They have, like 

 the RanunculacecB, several distinct sepals, petals, stamens, and pistils, 

 but they are always trees, or shrubs, their leaf-buds are enclosed in 

 membranous stipules, and the carpels usually cohere in a kind of cone. 



II. BERBERIDE-ffi. THE BARBERRY FAMILY. 

 Shrubs or herbs, with alternate or radical leaves, and no 

 stipules. Sepals and petals distinct, 2, 3, 4, 6, or 8 each, but 

 never 5. Stamens the same number as the petals, and opposite 

 to them. Anthers opening by valves or lids turned upwards. 

 Ovary of a single carpel, with two or more ovules attached to 

 the bottom or to one side of the cavity. Seeds albuminous. 



A small family, spread over the temperate regions or tropical 

 mountains of the globe. It is universally admitted by botanists, 

 although the connection between the Barberry and the herbaceous 

 genera associated with it appears at first sight rather artificial. These 

 are, however, none of them British. The Epimedium alpinum (Linn.), a 

 native of south-eastern Europe, has indeed been admitted into our 

 Floras as growing about old castles, &c., but only where it had been 

 planted. Some Japanese Epimcdiums are also cultivated ia our gardens. 



I. BEEBEEIS. BARBERRY. 



Shrubs, with usually prickly leaves. Sepals 8 or 9, yellow, outer 

 minute. Petals 6, in 2 series, with honeyed glands at their bases. 

 Stamens 6. Fruit a berry. 



A rather numerous genus, chiefly Asiatic and American. Many 

 exotic species are cultivated in our gardens, either with simple leaves, 

 like our own, or belonging to a section with pinnated leaves, some- 

 times considered as a genus under the name of Mahonia. 



1. B. vulgaris, Linn. (fig. 33). Common JB.A. glabrous acid pale 

 green shrub with yellow wood, attaining 6 or 8 feet, the branches 

 arched and hanging at the ends, armed with 3-lobed thorns at the base 

 of the tufts of leaves. Leaves alternate or clustered, obovate, rather 

 stiff, sharply toothed. Flowers yellow, in elegant drooping racemes, 

 with a disagreeable smell Berries small, red, oval or oblong, contain- 

 ing 2 or 3 seeds. 



In hedges, thickets, and open woods, over the greater part of Europe 

 and temperate Asia, to the Himalaya. In Europe it extends north. 



