204 VIII. BERBERIDE^. 



Caulophyllum. Caulophyllum. Rerberidoptit. 



Fruit, leaving naked two Feeds, Fertile drupe-like gced, cut Androocium 



one of which is abortive, the vertically, borne on n well- Jitrbtriiltptit. and pistil Rerbtridopiit. 



other globular and drupe-like. developed funicle. Flower (mag.)- (mag.)- Pistil (mag.). 



SEPALS 3-4-9, l-3-seriate. PETALS hypogynous, 4-6-8-9- oo, 1-2-3-seriate. 

 STAMENS as many as the petals, hypogynous. ANTHERS extrorse, usually opening by 

 valves, bursting from below upwards. CARPEL solitary, 1-celled, several-ovuled. FRUIT 

 a berry or capsule. SEEDS albuminous. EMBRYO dicotyledonous, small, axile. 



HERBS or SHRUBS with cylindric stem and branches, juice watery. LEAVES 

 sometimes simple (1-foliolate), or pinnate, with usually spiny teeth, occasionally 

 reduced to simple or branching spines (Berberis), sometimes 2-3-pinnate (Epime- 

 dium, Nandina, Leontice, &c.), sometimes palmilobed (Diphylleia, Je/ersonia) ; stipules 

 2, petiolar, minute, caducous. FLOWERS $ , regular, very rarely without perianth 

 (Achlys), axillary, solitary (Jejfersonia, Podophyllum), or in racemes (Berberis, Epime- 

 dium, Leontice), panicles (Bongardia), cymes (Diphylleia), or spikes (Achlys). CALYX 

 of 3, 4, or 9 1-3-seriate sepals, often petaloid, quite distinct, aestivation imbricate. 

 PETALS inserted on the receptacle, as many as the sepals in the several-seriate 

 calyces, -double in the 1-seriate calyces, biglandular at the base (Berberis), or with a 

 nectariferous pore at the claw (Bongardia), or nectariform (Leontice, Caulophyllum), 

 or hooded or lengthened into a spur (Epimedium), or like the sepals (Aceranthus, 

 Diphylleia). STAMENS inserted on the receptacle, usually as many as the petals, 

 very rarely twice as many (Podophyllum) ; filaments free, short, flattened, often irri- 

 table ; anthers 2-celled, extrorse, opening by two valves raised from below upwards, 

 or sometimes by two longitudinal slits (Nandina, Podophyllum). CARPEL solitary, 1 

 1-celled ; style terminal, very short, often ; stigma usually large, peltate, umbili- 

 cate ; ovules numerous, ascending from a parietal placenta, or few, erect and basal or 

 sub-basal, anatropous. BERRY or CAPSULE fleshy or membranous, iudehiscent, some- 

 times dehiscent (Epimedium, Vancouveria, Jeffersonia) ; sometimes the ovary breaks 

 up after fertilization, and disappears when ripe, leaving the drupe-like seeds exposed 

 (Caulophyllum). SEEDS ovoid or globose, erect or horizontal; testa crustaceous, mem- 

 branous or fleshy ; hilum sublateral, near the base, sometimes carunculate ; albumen 

 fleshy, or sub-horny. EMBRYO straight, axile ; cotyledons flat, elliptic ; radicle longer 

 than the cotyledons. 



1 The very anomalous Chilian genus Berberidopsis parietal placentas. It is referred to Bixacete by 

 is a climber with three carpels connate into a 1-celled Baillon. ED. 

 ovary, with many almost orthtropous ovules on three 



