216 FLORA INDICA. [Berbefiilea . 



solitarium, monocarpellare ; ovula pauca v. pluriraa ; stylus brevissimus. 

 Fructus baccatus, rarius capsularis v. transverse dehiscens. Semina 

 ereota v. horizontalia, umbilico prope basin sublaterali. Albumen car- 

 nosum V. corneum. Embryo axilis, orthotropus. Cotyledones appositse, 

 germinatione foliacese. — Frutices, rarius herbae, plercsqiie glaberrimce, 

 foliis alternis aimplicibus compositisve stipulatis v. exatipulatis, floribus 

 axillaribus solUariis v.fasciculatis racemosis v. subcorymbosis, pedicellis 

 basi bracteatis. 



Berheridecs are pretty uniformlj scattered over the north temperate zone, except- 

 ing in Europe, where the species are very few. They abound in the Himalaya, and in 

 the mountains of America from the latitude of Canada to Cape Horn, and are also 

 found in the Malayan Archipelago. Within the Arctic zone they are unknown, as 

 also in Australasia, Polynesia, and Africa, except in the Mediterranean region. Ber- 

 beris itself is the only widely spread genus of the Order, and is most fully developed 

 in the Himalaya and South American Andes. Podophyllum has one North Ameri- 

 caa and one Himalayan species. Epimedium is confined to the north temperate 

 zone, and its maximum occurs iu Japan. Leontice and Bongardia are oriental 

 genera. 



The affinities of Berheridea are very evident, and the limits of the Order are 

 pretty well marked. They are immediately allied to Lardizabalece through De- 

 caisnea, which has simply pinnated leaves and articulated petioles, and to Meni- 

 spennete; also to Manunculaceie through Berieris, which has nectarial glands on 

 the petals, also through an American genus, Jeffersonia, which has 4-5-merous 

 flowers, and through Bodophyllum, whose anthers open by longitudinal slits, and in 

 one species of which the stamens are numerous. Other points of aflBnity may be 

 pointed out with Anonaeecp, Mar/noliaceis, and Fumariacece , but these are what are 

 more or less common to the whole group of Orders to which it belongs. In its 

 cotyledons being closely applied to one another, it differs from many of these Orders, 

 and in its anthers opening by valves from all except Atkerosfermecs . 



Berheridece we consider to have no striking affinity with any Orders but Apocar- 

 pous Thalamijlorce , except Fumariacets and their allies, though the valvate anthers 

 have been considered to ally them to Laurace<^, and both Auguste St. Hilaire, and 

 latterly Liudley, have endeavoured to show that they are most closely allied to Vines. 

 In the ' Vegetable Kingdom,' indeed, they are classed in the same alliance with Vines, 

 Sroseracea, Fumariacers, Pittosforacece, OlacacecB, and Cyrillacecs, with none of 

 which, except Fumariaceiv, do we regard them as holding any direct affinity. It is 

 there said that Vines and Berheridea "so nearly agree in fructification, that if a 

 Berbery had two consolidated carpels, and anthers opening longitudinally, it would 

 almost be a Vine." But, though not inclined to lay much stress on the anthers, we 

 cannot overlook the importance of the characters oi' the floral organs, nor the habit 

 of Vines, the number of parts of their flower, their disc, and the valvate testivation 

 of their periaulh, points which, if disregarded, leave few upon which to systematize 

 amongst Dicotyledons ; added to which, the affinilies of Vines are so manifestly with 

 other Orders, Meliacece (and perhaps Araliacea), of Pittosporeie with Violacete and 

 Treinaiidrea, of Olacacece with Santalacea, and of Cyrillacea with still further re- 

 moved Orders, that it appears to us impossible to bring these families together with- 

 out in each case substituting analogical resemblances for affinities, 



1. BERBERIS, L. 



Mahonia, Nutt., DC. 



Sepala 6, extus 3-3-braoteolata. Pdala 6, ooncava, intus plus mi- 

 nusve biglandulosa. Stamina 6. Stigma peltatum. Bacca oligo- 



