Berberis.] vi. BERBERIDE^E. (Hook. f. & Thorns.) 109 



series. Petals 6, imbricate in 2 series, usually with 2 basal glands inside. 

 Stamens 6, free ; anther-cells opening by recurved valves. Ovary simple ; 

 stigma peltate, sessile or on a short style ; ovules few, basal erect. Berry 

 few-seeded. DISTRIB. Species about 50, natives of N. temperate regions, 

 subtropical Asia, the Andes, and temperate S. America. 



SECT. I. BXahonia, Leaves unequally pinnate ; leaflets "opposite. 



1. B. nepalensis, Spreng. Syst. Veg. ii. 120 ; leaflets oblong ovate or 

 lanceolate spinous-toothed palmately 3-5-nerved, racemes dense .flowered. 

 Wall. Cat. 1480 ; //. /. & T. Fl. Ind. 219. B. miccia, Ham. ; Don Prodr. 205. 

 B. acanthifolia, Wall. ; Don Syst. Gard. i. 118. Mahonia nepalensis, DC. 

 Prodr. i. 109 ; Deless. Ic. Sel. ii. t. 4. 



TEMPERATE HIMALAYA, alt. 4-8000 ft. ; from Garwhal to Bhotan ; KHASIA HILLS, 

 alt. 4-5000 ft. ; MERGUI, Griffith; NILGHIRI MTS., alt. 5-8000 ft. DISTRJB. Japan? 



Stem erect, 3-20 ft., subsimple, leafy near the top only. Leaves 6-18 in.; sheath 

 with 2 subulate stipules; leaflets 2-12 pair, 1-5 in., coriaceous, sessile, articulate with 

 the petiole. Racemes 3-12 in., erect ; bracts 1-2 in., various ; bracteoles oblong or 

 ovate. Flowers fascicled; pedicels J-^ in. slender. Berry g- in., violet, glaucous, 

 bitter. Probably B. Bealii of Japan is not different. 



VAR. 1. nepalensis proper; leaflets usually narrow -oblong or ovate-lanceolate, berry 

 elliptic. B. nepalensis, I.e. Northern and Eastern. India. 



VAR. 2. Leschenaultii ; leaflets broader, berry globose. B. Leschenaultii, Wall. 

 Cat. 1479 ; Wight I.e. t. 940. Nilghiries. 



SECT. IT. Berberis proper. Leaves simple, fascicled in the axils of 3-5- 

 partite (rarely simple) spines (reduced leaves). 



* Flowers racemed, corymbose or subumbelled. 



2. B. vulgaris, L. ; leaves more or less deciduous obovate spinulose- 

 serrate, flowers racemed, petals subentire, stigma sessile discoid. H.f. & T. 

 Fl Ind. 220. 



WESTERN HIMALAYA, alt. 8-12,000 ft., from Nipal to Marri, and in WESTERN 

 TIBET. DISTRIB. Temp. Europe and N. Asia. 



An extremely variable plant. 



VAR. 1. vulgaris proper ; 8-10 ft., leaves 2-3 in. quite deciduous long petioled broad 

 oblong lanceolate or obovate acutely serrate, racemes exceeding the leaves pendulous 

 simple not glaucous, flowers larpje, berries oblong-ovoid compressed red, seeds 2-5. 

 DO. Prodr. i. 105. Kashmir and Kishtwar, alt. 5-1000 ft. 



VAR. 2. cratcegina (sp. DC. Prodr. i. 106); a small bush, leaves 1-2 Jin. coriaceous 

 and persistent entire or spinulose, racemes elongate, berries oblong or subspherical. 

 B. emarginata, Willd. ; sphaarocarpa, Kar. & Kir*; heteppoda, Schrenk; turcornaniese, 

 Karel. Balti & Kashmir, alt. 8-10,000 ft. 



VAR. 3. cetnensis (sp. Presl. Flor. Sic. i. 28) ; low, rigid, robust, leaves l-l in. 

 obovate obtuse or mucronate rarely lanceolate spinulose serrate rarely entire, nerves 

 prominent, racemes suberect or nodding rather exceeding the leaves B. Kunwarensis, 

 Royle 111. 64. Simla to Balti, alt. 6-12,000 ft. 



VAR. 4. brachybotrys (sp. JSdgew. in Trans. Linn. Soc. xx. 29) ; branches robust, 

 often glaucous, leaves ^-1 in. hardly coriaceous obovate or lanceolate spinulose-serrate 

 or entire, racemes short many-flowered subcorymbose. From Sikkim to Simla, alt. 

 6-12,000 ft. 



VAR. 5. cretica (sp. Linn.} ; low or prostrate, densely branched, leaves ^-1 in. 

 rigid coriaceous angled spinulose-serrate or lobulate, margin thickened, racemes longer 

 or shorter than the leaves. (B. vulgaris var. australis, ^Boiss. B. Thunbergii, DC.} 

 Garwhal to Balti, alt. 9-11,000 ft. 



