20 EVERGREEN BERBERRIES CULTIVATED IN GBEAT BRITAIN. 



32. The JAPANESE Berberry. 



Berberis ■ , i?. Brown, in the Appendix to the 



Congo Expedition, p. 22 — alias Ilex Japonica, Thunherg, 

 Fl. Jap., 79 — alias Mahonia Japunica, De Candolle, 

 Systema, ii. 22 — alias Berberis Beallii, Fortune. 



The earliest account of this is to be found in Thunberg's Flora 

 Japonica, where it is mentioned under the name of Ilex Japonica, 

 that traveller having mistaken a leaf for a branch, and the 

 leaflets for true leaves. He found it cultivated, under the name 

 of Sasa Nanting, in Nipon, where he observed it while on his 

 journey to the Court of Japan. Dr. Robert Brown afterwards, 

 in 1818, pointed out this strange blunder, which indeed was 

 sufficiently evident from a figure of the so-called Ilex published 

 by Thunberg himself in the year 1802. A live plant has now 

 been received by Messrs. Standish and Noble of Bagshot from 

 Mr. Fortune, who informs them that it grows from 100 to 150 

 miles N. of Shanghae, and that it is the most gigantic of the 

 Berberries. 



A leaf, which has been sent me by Mr. Standish, is nearly 15 

 inches long, and of a stout leathery texture ; it originally had 

 four pairs of leaflets, and the usual terminal one ; the lower 

 pair has dropped off: the other lateral leaflets are sessile, slightly 

 cordate, about 3^ inches long, with from 3 to 4 strong spiny teeth 

 on each side, and a very stiff triangular point ; the terminal leaflet 

 is 5 inches long, and very deeply cordate, with 5 coarse, spiny 

 teeth on each side. 



This is certainly the finest of the genus, and if hardy it will be 

 the noblest evergreen bush in Europe. There is, however, but 

 one plant of it at present in cultivation, so that its habits are un- 

 ascertained. 



Besides these, our gardens contain various other Exotic Ber- 

 berries, concerning which further information is desirable. Se- 

 veral Indian forms, which approach B. asiatica and B. aristata, 

 require to be studied ; and of the S. American forms, two or three 

 at least remain for inquiry. 



Among them the most remarkable is that called Mahonia 

 Knightii, concerning whose history I can obtain no information. 

 Messrs. Knight and Perry can only state that they have had it 

 many years in their nursery under this name. Rumour, however, 

 says that it was introduced by Mr. Anderson, the collector 

 attached to Captain King's expedition, from the Straits of 

 Magellan. It is a little tufted, erect, unattractive shrub, scarcely 

 more than a foot high, with slender downy shoots and orbicular, 

 somewhat cordate flat leaves, fringed with slender spines, and 



