114 



BERBERIDE^E. I. BERBERIS. 



Anthers 2-celled, opening on the side ; they are inserted on the top 

 of the filaments. Female flowers with a corolla and calyx as in the 

 male ones, but they are usually 6-cleft. Ovary simple, ovate- 

 globose, 1 -seeded. Stigma sessile, orbicular, radiately emar- 

 ginate. Fruit unknown. A climbing shrub, with almost oppo- 

 site oval mucronate leaves, which are tomentose on the ribs 

 beneath ; and axillary, rather dichotomous corymbs of flowers. 



1 3. OVA'LIS (Blum. 1. c.) lj . w . S. Native of Java. 



OaaMeaved Jodes. Shrub cl. 



Cult. See Meniscosta. 



ORDER. VII. BERBERI'DE^E, (plants agreeing with Ber- 

 beris in many important characters.) Vent. tabl. 3. p. 83. D. C. 

 fl. fr. ed. 3. vol. 4. p. 627. syst. 2. p. 1. prod. 1. p. 105. 



Sepals 3-4, but usually 6, (f. 31. c.) in two series, deciduous, 

 furnished with petal-like scales on the outside (f. 31. c.) Petals 

 equal in number with the sepals, rarely double that number, (f. 31 . 

 a. f. 32. 6.), and opposite them, usually furnished with a gland or 

 a scale at the base on the inside of each. Stamens equal in num- 

 ber with the petals and opposite them ; anthers adnate, 2-celled, 

 opening from the base to the apex by a small somewhat elastic valve. 

 Ovary solitary, crowned by the rather orbicular stigma. Fruit 

 1 -celled, baccate, or capsular, (f. 31. c.). Seeds erect, usually fixed 

 to the bottom of the lateral placenta, rarely solitary, usually 

 2-3, ovate or globose. Albumen fleshy, usually rather corneous. 

 Embryo straight, slender, with the radicle more or less thickened 

 at the point, and flat cotyledons. Smooth shrubs or perennial 

 herbs, with simple or compound feather-nerved leaves. Flowers 

 yellow or white, usually disposed in racemes or panicles. This 

 order differs from all those belonging to Thalamiflorce in the 

 singular dehiscence of the anthers. The species are all inhabitants 

 of Europe, Asia, North and South America, usually of the tem- 

 perate zones ; but when found within the tropics, they are always 

 at a considerable height on the mountains. 



The seeds retain their vegetative power a considerable time, 

 therefore they are easily imported in a living state from any part 

 of the world. The medicinal qualities of this order are scarcely 

 known. The roots are usually bitter and astringent. Bark pur- 

 gative, taken in the form of a decoction in ale or other liquors. 

 The berries and leaves in all the species of Herberts and Mahonia 

 are acid and astringent ; the latter quality is particularly strong 

 in the wood and bark : these last parts afford a yellow colour, 

 which will dye linen and cotton, with the assistance of alum. 



Synopsis of the Genera, 

 I. Shrubs. 



1 BE'RBERIS. Sepals 6, furnished on the outside with 3 scales. 

 Petals 6, with 2 glands on the inside of each at the base. Sta- 

 mens toothless. Berries 2-3-seeded. 



2 MAHO'NIA. Sepals 6, furnished on the outside with 3 scales, 

 (f. 31 c.). Petals 6, (f. 31. a.) without glands on the inside. 

 Stamens furnished with a tooth on each side at the top of the fila- 

 ment, (f. 31. 6.) Berries 3-9-seeded. 



3 NANDI'NA. Sepals 6, furnished on the outside, with numer- 

 ous scales, which are disposed in many series. Petals 6, without 

 glands on the inside. Berries 2-seeded. 



II. Perennial herbaceous herbs. 



4 LEO'NTICE. Sepals 6, (f. 32. a.) naked on the outside. 

 Petals 6, (f. 32. 6.) bearing a scale at the base of each on the 

 inside. Capsules bladdery, (f. 32. c.) 2-4-seeded. 



5 EPIME'DIUM. Sepals 4-8, furnished with 2 bracteas on the 

 outside. Petals 4-6, furnished with a two-coloured appendage 

 on the inside of each. Capsule in the form of a silicle, many- 

 seeded. 



6 A'CHLYS. Sepals and petals wanting. Flowers naked, 

 disposed in a dense spike. Stamens numerous. Stigma dilated, 

 hence concave. 



7 DIPHYLLE'IA. Sepals 3, naked outside. Petals 6, naked 

 inside. Berry 2-3-seeded. 



I. BE'RBERIS. (Berberys is the Arabic name of the fruit, 

 and fiepfiepi in Greek signifies a shell : many authors believe that 

 it is originally derived from this word, because the leaves are 

 hollow, like a shell ; and Bochart says, the word fitpflepi is de- 

 rived from the Phoenician word barar, which expresses the bril- 

 liancy of a shell ; alluding to their shining leaves.) Lin. gen. no. 

 442. Juss. gen. 286. Lam. ill. t. 253. Schreb. gen. no. 595. 

 Gsert. fruct. 1. p. 200. t. 42. f. 6. D. C. syst. 2. p. 4. prod. 1. 

 p. 105. 



LIN. SYST. Hexdndria, Monogynia. Sepals 6, guarded on 

 the outside by 3 scales. Petals 6, with 2 glands on the inside of 

 each. Stamens toothless. Berries 2-3-seeded. Seeds 2, rarely 

 3, laterally inserted at the base of the berries, erect, oblong, with 

 a crustaceous coat, and fleshy albumen ; cotyledons leafy, ellip- 

 tical ; radicle long, capitellate at the top. Shrubs from 2 to 1 8 

 feet high, with the primary leaves abortive, generally changed 

 into spines, the secondary ones growing in fascicles in the axillaa 

 of the primary ones. Flower in all yellow. The stamens of 

 Berberis vulgaris, Canadensis, Sinensis, and perhaps all the spe- 

 cies of such flowers as are open, bend back to each petal, and 

 shelter themselves under their concave tips. No shaking of the 

 branch has any effect upon them, but if the inside of the filaments 

 are touched with a small bit of stick, a needle, or pin, they in- 

 stantly spring from the petals, and shake the anthers against the 

 stigma. The outside of the filament has no irritabili{y, nor has the 

 anther itself any ; as may be proved by touching either of them with 

 a blunt needle, or any thing which cannot injure the structure of 

 the part. If the stamen be bent to the stigma by means of a pair 

 of scissars applied to the anther, no contraction of the filament is 

 produced. From all this it is evident that the spring of the sta- 

 mens is owing to a high degree of irritability in the side of the 

 filament next the germ, by which, when touched, it contracts, 

 that side becomes shorter than the other, and consequently the 

 filament is bent towards the germ. This irritability is percep- 

 tible in the stamens of flowers of all ages. If the germ is cut off 

 the filaments will still contract ; and, nothing being in their way, 

 will bend over quite to the opposite side of the flower. After 

 irritation the stamens will return to their original place ; and, on 

 being touched again, they will contract with the same facility as 

 at first, and this may be repeated three or four times. The pur- 

 pose which this curious contrivance of nature answers is evident. 

 In the original position of the stamens, the anthers are sheltered 

 from rain by the concavity of the petals. Thus probably they 

 remain till some insect comes to extract honey from the base of 

 the flowers, thrusts itself between the filaments, and almost un- 

 avoidably touches them in the most irritable part : thus the 

 impregnation of the germ is performed. This irritability in 

 the stamina has been more particularly observed in the B. vul- 

 garis. 



