18 HARDY ORNAMENTAL 



Mexico (1820), this species is of stout growth, with long 

 leaves, that are thickly furnished with sharp spines. The 

 yellow flowers are produced abundantly, and being in 

 large bunches render the plant very conspicuous. It is, 

 unfortunately, not very hardy, and requires wall pro- 

 tection to do it justice. 



B. SINENSIS. China, 1815. This is a really handsome 

 and distinct species, with twiggy, deciduous branches, from 

 the undersides of the arching shoots of which the flowers 

 hang in great profusion. They are greenish-yellow inside, 

 but of a dark brownish-crimson without, while the leaves 

 are small and round, and die off crimson in autumn. 



B. STENOPHYLLA, a hybrid between B. Darwinii and 

 B. empetrifolia, is one of the handsomest forms in culti- 

 vation, the wealth of golden-yellow flowers being remark- 

 able, as is also the dark purple berries. It. is very hardy, 

 and of the freest growth. 



B. TKIFOLIATA (syn Malionia trifoliata). Mexico, 1839. 

 This is a very distinct and beautiful Mexican species that 

 will only succeed around London as a wall plant. It grows 

 about a yard high, with leaves fully 3 inches long, having 

 three terminal sessile leaflets, and slender leaf stalks often 

 2 inches long. The ternate leaflets are of a glaucous blue 

 colour, marbled with dull green, and very delicately veined. 

 Flowers small, bright yellow, and produced in few-flowered 

 axillary racemes on short peduncles. The berries are small, 

 globular, and light red. 



B. TRIFURCA (syn Malionia trifurca). China, 1852. This 

 is an evergreen shrub of neat, low growth, with three-forked 

 leaflets, but it does not appear to be at all plentiful. 



B. VULGARIS. Common Barberry. This is a native 

 species, with oblong leaves, and terminal, drooping 

 racemes of yellow flowers. It is chiefly valued for the 

 great wealth of orange-scarlet fruit. There are two very 

 distinct forms, one bearing silvery and the other black 

 fruit, and named respectively B. vulgaris fructo-albo and 

 B. vulgaris fructo-nigro. 



