TOE BERBERRY. 



601 



the smoke of cities, in the shade, or under the 

 drip of trees ; although in order that it may pro- 

 duce good flowers, it requires an open situation. 

 It is browsed on by cows, sheep, and goats, but 

 horses refuse to eat it. In tlie varieties, tlie 

 leaves sometimes grow by threes, and are 

 enlarged at the base, and variegated. Sometimes 

 there are three or four stamens instead of the 

 natural number, which is two. The colour of 

 the berries also varies from purple or black to 

 white and yellov^. A rose-coloured dye is pre- 

 pared from the berries, which with alum imparts 

 to wool or silk a durable green. Two species of 

 moths, the privet hawkmoth (sphinx liffustri,J 

 and the phalosna syringaria, feed on it in their 

 larva state, and it is said that the common blis- 

 tering fly also frequents this shrub. The Chinese 

 privet or wax-tree produces from its berries a 

 kind of vegetable wax, somewhat resembling 

 that from the myrica cerifera. 



The Berbbrrt. Berberis vulgaris ; Hexan- 

 dria, monogynia. This is also a common and 

 useful shrub, and when covered with blossom in 

 spring or fmit in autumn, forms no mean orna- 

 ment to the garden or lawn. The leaves are 

 ovate, of a light yellow, or bluish green, and 

 when chewed afford a pleasing acid taste. The 

 odour of the flowers is too strong when near, but 

 pleasant at a little distance. The berries are in 

 one variety purple, in another white. They are 

 powerfully acid, and are employed either as a 

 pickle for garnishing dishes, or boiled with sugar 

 fonn a pleasant jelly, which is used as a sweet- 

 meat, or occasionally in medicine, as a cooling 

 astringent in febrile diseases. The roots and bark 

 are employed as a dye, and impart a yellow 

 colour to linen or leather. Sheep, goats, and 

 cattle, feed on its leaves, and insects of various 

 kinds frequent the flowers. One of these, the 

 (scidium berberidis, its particular inhabitant, is 

 supposed by some to carry from this flower a 

 peculiar dust, which falling on growing corn 

 gives rise to rust. This has been, however, 

 doubted by others, and the rust assigned to 

 the growth of a minute fungus. Linnaeus and 

 Smith have remarked, that the anthers of the 



k berberry are so sensitive as to explode when 

 touched by the feet of the common bee, by which 

 the pollen is scattered on the stigma. There are 

 several other species besides the common ber- 

 berry, all of which ai-e very ornamental shrubs, 

 such as the clustered, the Nepal, the holly- 

 leaved. 



Clematis, or Virgin's Bower. Natural family, 

 ranuTuyulacece ; polyandria, polygynia, of Lin- 

 nsus. This is a very xiseful and oi-namental 

 genus of climbing shrubs, of rapid growth, free 

 flowerers, and some of them highly odoriferous. 

 The favourite species are the large flowered 

 florida, the purple nticella, the round leaved 

 flammula, and tlie American vertidllaris. They 



are all hardy plants, and will grow freely in any 

 common soil, and are readily increased by layers 

 or young cuttings, which if planted under a 

 common hand glass will root freely. They may 

 also be raised from seed, which is produced and 

 ripened in great abundance. These should be 

 sown in wide-mouthed pots, placed in a shady 

 situation, and after the plants have come up, they 

 are to be planted out into the places where they 

 are required to grow. 



Passion Flower. Passiflora; monadelphia, 

 pentandria, of Linnceus. This genus has obtained 

 its name from a fanciful idea, that the appen- 

 dages of the flower represent the passion of Jesus 

 Christ. 



They are all climbing plants, partly herbaceous, 

 and partly shrubby; natives of South America, 

 the West India islands, and China. There are 

 many species; some are odoriferous, and others 

 bear fruits, which are edible, though not of very 

 rich flavour. The leaves are of various fomis, 

 ovate, round, elliptical, lobed, sub-cordate; some 

 are entire, and others serrated at the margins. 

 The flowers are very beautiful, varying from red, 

 to white, blue, and purple. 



The Common Passion Flower (p. cerulea), is 

 the tallest and most woody of this family. The 

 stem attaining almost the thickness of a man's 

 arm, from which shoots will spring out to the 

 length of fifteen feet in one season. The leaves 

 are palmate, and five lobed, with smooth edges, 

 and have a very elegant appearance. The flowers 

 are blue outside, and purple and white within. 

 They have a faint odour, and are very evanes- 

 cent, continuing but for a day. The fruit is 

 egg-shaped, and encloses a sweetish, disagreeable 



Passion Flower. 



pulp, in the centre of which are the seeds, which 

 are black coloured. 



Several of the varieties of this species are very 

 beautiful, as Milne's hybrid, (p. cerulea racem- 

 osa); the narrow-leaved (angustifolia), and the 

 4a 



