50 BARBEBBY FAMILY. 



§ 1. True Barberry, with apparently simple (really compound with 1 

 leaflet as shown by the joint in the short petiole) leaves clustered in the 

 axil of branched spines. 



* Flowers in axillary racemes; leaves bristly or spiny-toothed, not 



B. vulgaris, Linn. Common B. A shrub with, drooping, many -flowered 

 racemes, and entire petals, and oblong, red, and sour berries ; leaves obo- 

 vate-oblong. The triple or multiple spines answer to leaves of the shoot 

 of the previous season. (Lessons, p. 63, Fig. 171.) Naturalized in New 

 Eng., planted and occasionally spontaneous elsewhere. There are cult, 

 forms with fruits of divers colors and purple foliage. 



B. Canadensis, Pursh., wild in mountains from Virginia, S., is a low 

 bush, with few-flowered racemes ; repandly-toothed and less bristly leaves ; 

 petals notched at the top ; and oval red berries. Probably not in com- 

 mercial cult., the plant sold under this name being B. vulgaris. 



* * Flowers solitary or in pairs; leaves entire. 



B. Thunbergii, DC. A low Japanese shrub ; leaves £'-1' long ; flowers 

 on slender stalks, hardly longer than the small obovate leaves ; sepals red, 

 and petals often tinged with red ; berries bright red. Foliage becomes red 

 in fall. 



§ 2. Mahonia, with pinnate, evergreen leaves and clustered racemes of 



early spring flowers ; berries blue or black with a bloom. Planted for 



ornament. T . . . , • , . 



* Leaflets broad or rounded. 



B. Aquifblium, Pursh. Holly B. or Mahonia from Oregon, etc., rises 

 to 3°-4° high ; leaflets ovate to oblong-taper-pointed, 5-9, shining, finely 

 reticulated. 



B. repens, Lindl. Creeping or Low M., Oregon Grape, is more 

 hardy, rises only 1° or less, and has ovate, acute (not taper-pointed), 

 usually fewer, pale or glaucous leaflets. Rocky Mountains. 



B. nervbsa, Pursh. (or B. glumacea). Has husk-like, long, and pointed 

 bud-scales at the end of the stems, which rise only a few inches above 

 the ground ; leaflets 11-21, along the strongly jointed stalk, lance-ovate, 

 several-ribbed from the base. Also from Oregon. 



* * Leaflets distinctly oblong or lanceolate. 



B. NepalSnsis, Spreng. (B. Jaf6nica of gardens). Tall, rising fully 

 6° high, the rigid leaflets (5-25) obovate-oblong and repand-toothed, with 

 only 3 or 4 strong spiny teeth on each side. India to Japan. 



B. Fortune!, Hindi. A dwarf species from China, the foliage turning 

 red in the fall ; leaflets 5-9, narrowly lanceolate and acuminate, with nu- 

 merous shallow spiny teeth. 



3. NANDINA. (From the Japanese name.) A single species. 



N. domestica, Thunb. Cult, in cool greenhouses, etc., from Japan ; 

 very compound large leaves ; the panicle of globular red berries of the 

 size of peas, more ornamental than the blossoms. 



4. EPIMEDITJM, BARRENWORT. (Old Greek name of uncertain 

 meaning.) Hardy. % Low herbs, with neat foliage ; cult, for orna- 

 ment ; petals 4 hollow spurs or hoods; pods several-seeded. 



E. alp)num, Linn., odd-looking small flowers in panicles, the yellow 

 petals not larger than the reddish sepals. Cent. Eil. 



