156 THE FLORA. 



I B vulga'ris. Comnwn Barberry-busk. A well-known, bushy, handsome shrub, IE 

 hard soils. Grows 3-Sf. high. Leaves oval, near 2' long, rounded-obtuse at 

 apex, tapering to a petiole, with bristly sc-rratures on the margin, Flowers* 

 'yellow, a dozen or more in each hanging raceme, with entire petals. Stamens 

 irritable, springing against the stigma when touched. Berries red, very scur. 

 June. 



B. Aquifo'lium. Holly-leaved B. Leaves pinnate, of 7-13 thick, sp'my-tootl cd 

 leaflets. Shrub 3-5t'. high. Cal. t 



*2, JEFFERSO'NIA. Twin-leaf. 



Sepals 4, colored, caducous. Petals 8, spreading. Stamens 8, with 

 (inear anthers. Pod on a short stipe, opening by a lid. K Flowers and 

 eaves from the root. Scape 1 -flowered. (Figs. 375, 376.) 



f. diphyl'la. Twin-leaf. A very curious plant, acaulescent. Leaves eaeh with two 

 blades, about If. high. Flowers same height, white. Koot-stock black, with 

 a thick mass of fibres, supposed good iu rheumatism. M. W. 



' 3. PODOPIIYL'LUM. Mandrake. 



Sepals caducous. Petals 6-9, obovate, concave. Stamens 12-18, with 

 inear anthers, the lids scarcely opening. Berry large, egg-shaped, 1-celled, 

 crowned with the solitary stigma. Low, somewhat poisonous herbs, with 

 one or two leaves and one flower. 



f. pelta'tum. May Apple. Wild Mandi-ake. A singular and interesting plant, in 

 woods and fields. Height about If. The barren plants bear but a single leaf, 

 which is 5-8' broad, 5-7-lobed, and centrally peltate. The flowering plants 

 have a pair of leaves, with the flower at the fork of the two petioles the k-avce 

 not peltate, but with a deeply-hollowed base, about 7-lobed. Flower droop- 

 ing, white, about 2' across. Fruit yellowish, with the flavor of the Strawberry. 

 May. 



ORDER VIII. NELUMBIACE^E. The Water-beans. 



*Hcrbs aquatic, prostrate root-stock, and radical, peltate leaves, with 

 flowers large, solitary, on long, upright scapes, 4 or 5-sepaled ; 

 petals numerous, arranged in many rows, as are also the many stamens; 

 ovaries separate, each with a .-imple style and stigma, becoming in 

 fruit 1-seeded nuts, half sunk in the hollows of the very large torus, the 

 seeds with a very large embryo and no albumen. 



