66 NATURAL HISTORY OF PLANTS. 



be cited as a distinctive feature, for the same is found in several 

 species of the genus Ranunculus itself. But we may truly say that 

 the stamens of Podophyllece are arranged in ternary verticils, whose 

 symmetry is recognisable even when the elements of some of these 

 whorls are deduplicated. Thus the androceum of this series comes 

 far nearer that of Berberis (or, with a change to a binary type, 

 Epimedium), than that of Magnoliacece or Atwnacea, whose stamens 

 are so often indefinite and spirally arranged. And in the few 

 Anonads that have only three, six, or nine stamens, the albumen is 

 ruminated, which it never is in Berberidacece. Again, the stamens 

 often dehisce by valves in this order ; and this fact, though not 

 constant, is never found in any of the orders we have just named. 

 It occurs, however, in Lauracete generally, and here we must turn 

 for the remaining close affinity of the Berberidacea, especially when 

 they possess only a pauci- or uniovulate carpel, trimerous flowers, 

 and a fleshy fruit. By their compound leaves Lardizabalece are 

 like Bligereae, while by their pluricarpellary gyna?ceum they recall 

 the Monimiacece, which are equivalent to pluricarpellary Laurads. 

 We know, however, that the mode of formation of the valves is 

 quite different in Berberidacece and in Lauracea, and that the embryo 

 of the latter order is large and exalbuminous. Accordingly we may 

 place the order Berberidacece between Lauracea, Ranunculacete, 

 Schizandrete, and Menispermacece ; not omitting to note at the same 

 time its affinities with orders possessing a unilocular ovary with 

 several parietal placentas, to which it is linked by Berberidopsis, 

 and especially Papaveracece and perhaps Bixacea ; Sanguinaria 

 in the former order comes very close to Jeffersonia ; and placed 

 among the latter we have found in Erythrospermum a type whose 

 floral organization is identical with that of Berberidopsis. 



Berberine is the principle which gives the chief properties to most 

 Berberidacece. This is a yellow substance, of alkaline reaction, 

 crystallizing in fine needles. 1 Associated with it is found in the 

 roots of the Berberries a white friable acrid bitter crystallizable 



1 Guib., prog. Simpl., ed. 6, iii. 726.— Fleitmann (in Ann, d. Chim. und Pharm., lix. 160) 

 made known its alkaline properties. 



