4-2 



ARBORETUM ET FRUTICETUM 13R1TANN1CUM. 



Genus I. 



BE'RBERIS L. The Bkrrerry. Lin. Syst. Hexandria Monog/nia. 



Identification. Lin. Gen., 442.; Dec. Prod., 1. p. 105 ; Don's Mill., 1. p. 114. 



Synonymes. Pipperidge Cusli ; E'pine vinette, Fr. ; Berberitze, Ger. 



licriviition. Berberys is the Arabic word used for this plant by Averrhoes and other writers on 

 medicine ; but some persons derive the name from the Greek word berberi. signifying a shell, from 

 the leaves of the common species having a hollow surface. Bochart says that the word Berberis is 

 derived from tlie Phoenician word harar, which signifies shining lilie a shell, from their shining 

 leaves. Gerard says that the word Berbery is a corruption of amyrberis, the name given to the 

 plant by Avicenna. Du Hamel says that Berberis is derived from an Indian word signifying mother 

 of pearl. Pipperidge bush, or piprage tree, Gerard says, is Dr. Turner's name for the plant, and 

 it is still given to it in Cambridgeshire. E'piue vinette signifies the; acid, or sorrel, thorn, from 

 the taste of the fruit and leaves. 



Ge7i. Char. 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, elliptical. 

 Radicle long, capitellate at the tip. (^Don's Mill.) B. heterophjUa Juss. has 

 toothed stamens. 



Leaves simple, alternate, exstipulate, deciduous or evergreen ; toothed 

 or serrated, coriaceous, with numerous .small leaves produced at the axils 

 of the larger ones, often abortive in the form of prickles. Flowers yellow. 

 Fruit red, in some kinds black, purple or white in others. fehrubs natives 

 of Europe, North America, and Asia ; characterised in a general view by 

 being crowded with suckers, and having axillary tufts of leaves and sjnnes. 



The species are all readily propagated by seeds which most of them ripen 

 in England ; and also by side suckers and root suckers, which almost all of 

 them throw up in abundance. 



A. Leaves thin, deciduous. Flowers solitary. 



jt \. B. sibi'rica Pall. The Siberian Berberry. 



Identification. Pall. Fl. Ross., 2. p. 42. ; Dec. Prod., 1. p. 108. ; Don's Mill., 1. p. 117. ; Pen. Cyc, 



4. p. 260. 

 Si/nonymes. B. altkica Pal. ; Vinettier de Sib&rie, Fr. 

 Engravings. Pall. Fl. Uoss., 2. t. 67. ; and our fig. 52. after Hayne, and 



fig. 53. after Pallas. 



Spec. Char., ^c. Spines 

 3 7-parted. Leaves 

 lanceolate-obovate, ci- 

 liately serrated. Pe- 

 duncles 1-flowere^, 

 shorterthan theleaves. 

 (Do7i's Miller.) An 

 erect deciduous shrub. 

 Siberia, on hills and 

 the lower mountains. 

 Height 2 ft. to 3 ft. 

 Introduced m 1790. 

 Flowers yellow; May 

 and June. Berry red ; 

 ripe in September. 



52. Birb*ris iibilici. 



63. Bctberis sibirica. 



B. Leaves thin, mostly deciduous. Flowers in Racemes. 

 at 2. B. vuLGA^Ris L. The common Berberry. 



I lentiflcation. Lin. Sp., 472. ; Dec. Prod., 1. p. 105. ; Don's Mill., 1. p. 115. 



Synonymes. B. sctnensis Presl ; if. macrocarpa of some ; Pipperidge Tree, Dr. Turner ; t'pme 



vinette, Fr. ; gemeine Berbcritze, Ger. 

 Engravings. Eng. Bot., t. 49. ; Willd. Baum., t. 39. ; and om- fig. .54., m which a is a specimen in 



flower, h a specimen in fruit, c a flower of the natural size, and d a fruit of the nctural sue. 



