BARBERRY FAMILY 



Corolla. Petals six, in two rows, yellow, hypogynous, imbri 

 cate in bud, obovate, concave, with two glandular spots inside, 

 above the short claw. 



Stamens. Six, hypogynous, opposite the petals, irritable ; fil- 

 aments short ; anthers two-celled, opening by lids hinged at the 

 top. 



Pistil. Ovary one, superior; style short; stigma circular, de- 

 pressed. 



Fruit. Berry about half an inch long, borne in drooping ra- 

 cemes from the tiny branchlets which bear the rosettes of leaves; 

 scarlet, oblong, crowned with a remnant of the stigma as a black 

 spot, edible, heavily charged with malic acid. Seeds few or one. 



The spines of the Barberry are a curious state of leaf in which 

 the leaf texture is displaced and the ribs have become indurated. 

 They, as well as the simple leaves of ordinary appearance, are 

 articulated with the petiole, and are therefore compound leaves 

 reduced to a single foliole. 



The Barberry is a graceful bush bearing- in the spring 

 from its bending shoots drooping racemes of beautiful 

 yellow flowers. These flowers are especially interest- 

 ing because of the remarkable irritability of the sta- 

 mens. When a filament is touched on the inside with 

 the point of a pin or any other hard instrument the 

 stamen bends forward toward the pistil, touches the 

 stigma with the anther, remains curved for a short time 

 and then partially recovers its erect position. 



There is no evidence that the Common Barberry is 

 native to this continent, but it thrives luxuriantly in 

 New England, where it is now well established as a 

 wild shrub. The plant is most satisfactory for yard or 

 lawn ; is graceful in habit ; most attractive when in 

 flower, and bears its bright red berries long after the 

 leaves fall, and well into the winter. 



Berberis canadensis is a rare plant of the Alleghanies 

 which grows to the height of five feet. The leaves are 



14 



