BERBERIDACEM. 



51 



to a sepal, sessile, concave on the inside and possessing two late- 

 ral glands of variable size near their base. There are as many 

 stamens as petals, apparently superposed to them ; each consists of 

 a free filament, articulated at its base, 1 and a basifixed muticous two- 



Berberis vulgaris. 



IA) 



Fig. 51. 

 Flower (f). 



Fig. 52. 

 Diagram. 



Fig. 54. Fig. 56. Fig. 57. 



Stamen dehiscing {\). Long. sect, of fruit {\). Seed ({). 



Fig. 53. 

 Long. sect, of flower. 



Fig. 55. 

 Bunch of fruit. 



celled anther, originally introrse. 2 Each cell opens by a longitudinal 

 slit which is prolonged towards the base and along the whole of the 

 dorsal edge of the outer part of the cell, so that this rises like a 

 valve to free the pollen. 3 The inner half-cell is more or less com- 

 pletely abortive. The gynseceum is superior, free, and unicarpellary, 



1 The irritability of these stamens is one of 

 the most curious facts in vegetable physiology. 

 See KffiLB., in Nov. Act. Acad. Sc. Petrop. 

 (1790). — H. Bn., Bes. Mouv. dans les Org. 

 Sex., thes., 1856, 30.) 



2 It has often been described as extrorse, but 

 wrongly, in our opinion. (See Adansonia, ii. 273.) 



3 The pollen of most of the Berberids in 

 which it has been studied is formed of ellipsoidal 

 grains, with three longitudinal folds. When 

 moistened they become spherical, with three 

 bands. (H. Mohl, in Ann. Sc, Nat., ser. 2, iii. 

 325.) 



E 2 



