Berberidea—Berberts. 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 (Bérberis 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. avistata, syn. B. wmbellata ?—In appearance this 
resembles No. 1. It is armed with strong tripartite thorns, 
and the leavés 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. Darwinit.—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. dilcis.—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 buaifolia 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 
