62 NATURAL HISTORY OF PLANTS. 



in 1855. 1 J. Hooker in 1867 2 discovered the new syncarpous genus 

 which he named Berberidopsis, to which we have added 3 in the same 

 series the genus Erylhrospermum of Lamarck, 4 a type hitherto referred 



to Bixacea. 



There are nearly a hundred species known, divided almost equally 

 between the two hemispheres. 5 Hitherto the genera Zardizabala, 

 Berberidopsis, and Dip/iylleia, with the section Vancouveria of Epi- 

 med'mm, have only been observed in America. Nandina is confined 

 to China and Japan, and Erytlirospermum to the eastern islands of 

 Africa and Ceylon, omitting Lardizabala. All the other five genera 

 of LardizabaU(B, comprising half a score species, are from temperate 

 Eastern Central Asia. Aclilys, Jeffersonia, and Bodop/iyllum have 

 each one species in Asia, and one in North America. By far the 

 larger part of Berberis is American ; but this is the case with only 

 one of the four species of Zeontice, the others being Asiatic and 

 European. Europe possesses, moreover, representatives of Epi- 

 medium and Berberis. B. vulgaris extends to 60° N. in the north of 

 Scandinavia, and this is about the limit of the Chinese and Japanese 

 Berberidacete, Epimedium, Jeffersonia, Achlys, and Nandina. An Epi- 

 medium is also found in temperate Europe. In North Africa we find 

 a Berberis, an Epimedium, and perhaps a Zeontice. But no member 

 of the Order has been found in continental South Africa or Austra- 

 lasia. In South America Berberidopsis and Berberis extend to 

 50° S. in Valdivia and Patagonia. Only one species from Brazil has 

 been described, Berberis laurina. 



As at present constituted this Order is one par enchainemcnt. 

 Accordingly it presents hardly one absolute character. No doubt 

 the placentation is almost constantly parietal or basilar, and the 

 ovary one-celled ; but the carpels are sometimes free, sometimes 

 united edge to edge, with several placenta? in the cell. The 

 seeds are always albuminous, but the form and consistency of 

 the albumen and its relations (in position and size) to the embryo 

 are most variable. The other characters are either nearly constant 



1 Fl. Ind., i. 212. 2 Bot. Mag., t. 5343. 4 III,, ii. (1793), 407. 



3 Stir les Affinites des Erytlirospermum (in 5 In the proportion of 52 to 45. 



AJansonia, ix, (1870) 311). 



