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BERBERIDACEAE, 



X MAHOBERBERIS. Hybrid Barberry. 

 (Family Berberidaceae). 



Rather low and sparingly 

 branched shrubs: subevergreen. 

 Twigs roundish, relatively stout: 

 pith relatively large, pale, contin- 

 uous. Buds alternate, moderate, 

 solitary, sessile, with half-a-dozen 

 or so loose gray scales, usually 

 developing into short spurs cov- 

 ered by the long-persistent ba- 

 sally dilated petioles. Leaf-scars 

 terminating the persistent peti- 

 oles, half-round, sometimes paired, 

 with indistinct bundle-traces. 

 Leaves papery, pungently serrate, 

 mostly of 1 leaflet: stipules and 

 stipule-scars lacking. 



This hybrid between a true 

 barberry (Berberis vulgaris) and 

 a Mahonia (M. Aquifolium) indi- 

 cates clearly the close relation- 

 ship between the two groups, 



which on technical characters are combined in the genus 

 Berberis by many conservative botanists. Such botanists 

 write its name X Berberis Neuberti. When species belonging 

 to different genera hybridize, as here, it will be found that 

 the genera commonly differ by relatively small or instable 

 technical characters. If, however, they are maintained as dis- 

 tinct, their hybrid progeny pertains to neither in fact. For 

 this reason, as in the present case, a bigeneric hybrid is given 

 a generic name different from that of either parent, by those 

 who believe in the generic separability of the parents. 

 Glabrous: leaves exceeding the petioles. X M. Neuberti. 



