BERBEEIDACEjE. 11 



Podophyllum), with the petals in front of the sepals. Sta- 

 mens (except in Podophyllum) as many as the petals, one 

 before each. Anthers usually opening by a valve at the 

 top. Fruit berry-like, or a pod. 



Synopsis of the Genera. 



* Petals and stamens 6. 



1. Bei-'berls. Shrub, with yellow wood and yellow flowers in droop- 



ing racemes. Stamens Irritable. Petals 6, obovate, concave, 

 each with two glandular spots inside at the base. Fruit a sour 

 berry, oblong, scarlet. 



2. Canlopliyl'Inm. A purplish herb, flowering in early spring. 



Petals thick, much shorter than the sepals. Leaves decompound. 



* * Petals e-9. Stamens 8-18. 

 i. Podopbyl'Ium. Petals 6-9. Stamens 12-18. Anthers not opening 



by uplifting valves. Fruit a large berry. Leaves peltate. 

 1. JeiTerso'uia. Petals and stamens mostly 8. Anthers opening by 



uplifting valves. Pod opening by a lid. Leaves divided in two. 



I. BER'BEKIS, L. Barbebby. 

 B. VUlga'ns, L. (Common Barberry.) Shrub. Leaves 

 on the fresh shoots of the season mostly reduced to branched 

 spines, from whose axils proceed the next year close clus- 

 ters of obovate-oblong, bristly-toothed leaves, with short, 

 jointed petioles, and many-flowered racemes. Sepals, petals 

 and stamens 6 each. Outside of sepals are 2-6 bractlets. 

 Petals yellow. Fruit an oDlong, sour, scarlet berry. — Cul- 

 tivated grounds. 



3. cHJlOPHYl'irM, Hiohx. Blue Cohosh. 

 C thalietroi'des, Miohx. (Blue Cohosh.) Plant 1-2 

 feet high, very glaucous and dull purple when young. 

 Flowers yellowish-green, in a, terminal small raceme, ap- 

 pearing in spring before the decompound leaoea are developed. 

 Sepals 6, with 3 little bractlets at their base. Petals 6, thick 

 and somewhat kidney-shaped, much smaller than the sepals. 

 Stamens 6, one before each petal. Ovary bursting soon 

 after the flowering, and leaving the two drupe-like seeds 

 nased on their rather thick stalks. Fruit bluish, ^ oi an 

 inch across. — Eich woods. 



