Berberidecz Berber is. 29 



reduced to spines. Flowers yellow, solitary, racemose or fas- 

 cicled. Sepals 8 or 9, outer minute. Petals 6, in two series, 

 glandular at the base. Stamens 6, opening by two upward 

 valves. Carpel 1, baccate, with a few basal seeds. The species 

 and varieties are numerous, and natives of Europe, Asia and 

 America, from Oregon to Fuega. The name is of Arabic origin. 

 The species may be conveniently divided into two sections. 



1. Leaves simple, usually fascicled (Berberis proper). 



1. B. vulgaris. Common Barberry. Although this is a 

 very pretty deciduous shrub, especially when laden with its 

 orange-scarlet fruit, there are several evergreen species of 

 better habit and with handsomer flowers, that are more com- 

 monly planted for ornament. Leaves oblong-obovate, with 

 spiny teeth. Flowers yellow, in terminal drooping racemes, 

 appearing in May or June. A native of Great Britain. There 

 are several varieties, including scarlet- yellow- and white-fruited 

 and purple-leaved. 



2. B. aristata, syn. B. umbellata ? In appearance this 

 resembles No. 1. It is armed with strong tripartite thorns, 

 and the leaves are almost persistent and deeply serrated. 

 Flowers yellow, cymose ; cymes on long pendulous peduncles. 

 This is of erect habit, with deeply furrowed reddish brown 

 branches. A native of Nepal, flowering in May. 



3. B. Darwinii. This is perhaps the handsomest in culti- 

 vation, and the most extensively planted. It forms a densely 

 branched spreading decumbent evergreen bush with dark glossy 

 leaves and orange-yellow flowers. There are about four leaves 

 in each fascicle, on short petioles, oval or oblong, about an inch 

 long, .with usually five spiny teeth. Flowers in racemes, very 

 profuse, produced in May and sometimes again in Autumn. 

 A native of South Chili. 



4. B. dulcis. An erect spiny evergreen shrub. Leaves about 

 4 together, glabrous, very shortly petioled, oval or oblong, about 

 8 lines long, entire, slightly coriaceous. Flowers solitary, on 

 slender peduncles, yellow. Berries bluish black. This is one of 

 the forms of buxifolia or microphylla, a variable shrub from 

 Chili. 



5. B. empetrifolia. A dwarf evergreen species about 18 

 inches or 2 feet high. Leaves in fascicles of about 7, on 

 short slender petioles, linear, closely revolute, giving them 

 the appearance of being terete, sharply mucronate. Flowers 



