BERBERRY TRIBE. 359 



as a tonic and stomachic ; and that of other species is used for 

 the same purpose, in the countries of which they are respectively 

 natives. On the other hand, the seeds of most of them are 

 narcotic, in various degrees. The drug named Cocculus Indicus 

 is the seed of an Indian Menispermum ; it has been much em- 

 ployed by brewers in this country to heighten the intoxicating 

 properties of their malt liquor, so that it is now illegal for a 

 brewer even to have the article in his possession ; it has also been 

 employed by poachers to capture fish, which it causes to become 

 powerless and to float on the water. A large quantity is im- 

 ported into this country, in spite of the illicit nature of the uses 

 to which alone it can be applied. 



519. Another interesting order, possessing the same general 

 structure, but having very different properties, is that of BER- 

 BERIDE.E, represented in Britain by the common Berberry, a 

 shrubby plant, frequent in hedges and plantations, and well 

 known from the bunches of red succulent acid fruit which it bears. 

 The branches of this bush are covered with sharp spines, in sets 

 of three or more ; and from the base of each set the leaves arise. 

 Now these spines are nothing else than the hardened veins of the 

 first-produced leaves of each bud, between which the fleshy 

 tissue is not developed (. 236); and this will become evident, 

 on looking at a very vigorous shoot of the plant, which will 

 exhibit at some points the space nearly filled up with parenchyma; 

 at others partly so ; and at others, the spines entirely bare. This 

 is not, however, an universal character of the order ; but it is 

 one which marks the common species before us, as well as many 

 others. The flowers present several interesting peculiarities. 

 Their parts are generally arranged in threes, the number of 

 sepals, petals, and stamens, being six in the common Berberry. 

 The anthers open by valves, in the manner formerly described 

 (. 432), which character is sufficiently distinctive of this order ; 

 and the stamens possess a curious irritability, which also has been 

 already noticed (. 421). The position of the stamens is peculiar, 

 being opposite to the petals, a character which the Menispermeae 

 share with them (. 463 5). The ovary consists of only a 

 single carpel, containing from one to three seeds ; and it is this 



