250 BERBERIS 



B. THUNBERGII, De Candolle. THUNBERG'S BARBERRY. 



A deciduous shrub, of very close, compact habit, from 3 to 8 ft. high, with 

 stiff, deeply grooved branches, and smooth, reddish brown bark. Leaves 

 crowded in tufts along the branches (the tufts often J to ^ in. apart), obovate 

 or spathulate, \ to i \ ins. long, sometimes rounded at the apex, sometimes spine- 

 tipped, never toothed. The thorns on the branches are about \ in. long, almost 

 invariably single, but occasionally three-pronged. Flowers if to \ in. across, 

 usually solitary in each tuft of leaves, but sometimes in pairs, each one borne 

 on a slender stalk | in. long ; sepals small, dull red ; petals twice as long, pale 

 yellow suffused with red. Berries bright red. 



The first European to notice this barberry was Thunberg, who saw it in 

 Japan in 1784, but it did not reach this country until about ninety years later. 

 It has been found wild in China. Latterly it has become popular in gardens, 

 owing to its neat, close habit, its handsome red fruits, but more than all for its 

 brilliant red foliage in autumn. The flowers, although unusual in colour and 

 freely borne, are not showy. In the suburbs of Boston, Mass., in the neighbour- 

 hood of the Arnold Arboretum, it thrives remarkably ; I have measured bushes 

 there 8 ft. high and 15 ft. across. 



Var. DAWSONII. A variety that originated in the Arnold Arboretum, 

 dwarfer and more compact than the type. 



Var. MAXIMOWICZII (B. Maximowiczii, RegeF) has more twiggy branches, 

 with a purple bark and more pointed leaves. 



Var. MINOR, Rehder. A dwarf form usually under 2 ft. high, with small 

 leaves and flowers. 



Var. PLURIFLORA, Koehne. Flowers three to seven together in corymbs. 



B. TRIFOLIOLATA, Moricand. NEW MEXICAN BARBERRY. 



(Bot. Reg., vol. 27, t. 10 ; Mahonia trifoliolata, Fedde.") 



An erect, rigid shrub, 6 or 8 ft. high, belonging to the Mahonia group, but with 

 only three leaflets to each leaf. Leaflets glaucous or almost white, shaped like 

 a spear-head ; I to 2 ins. long, J to f in. wide ; tapering to a long, spine-tipped 

 point, and bulging at each side into one or two spine-tipped lobes. Flowers 

 yellow, borne in short corymbs. Fruit oval or roundish, black with a blue 

 bloom. 



This rare shrub comes from rocky hills in New Mexico, and is only hardy 

 against a sunny wall, or in exceptionally mild districts. Some years ago I 

 saw an old bush, 8 ft. high, growing against the house wall at Bayfordbury. 

 The species differs from all other Mahonias in cultivation in the vividly 

 glaucous-white leaves with only three leaflets. 



B. UMBELLATA, Wallich. 



A deciduous, or semi-evergreen shrub, about 6 or 8 ft: high ; twigs greyish, 

 angled, finely downy ; spines f in. long. Leaves obovate or oblanceolate, ^ to 

 i \ ins. long, \ to f- in. wide ; the margins mostly entire, or with a few out- 

 standing teeth towards the apex. Flowers yellow, in long-stalked corymbs 

 i to \\ ins. long. Berry red, egg-shaped. 



Native of the Himalaya, from Kashmir eastwards, up to 11,000 ft. This 

 species is somewhat obscure ; plants received under the name, or raised from 

 seed so-called, usually prove to be some form of B. aristata. It is not certain 

 that the true thing is in cultivation. The berries, if correctly described by 

 Brandis as " scarlet, oblong," ought to clearly distinguish it from aristata. 



