ERADICATING THE COMMON BARBERRY 6 
in a mature bush, and their upright, unbranched growth with erect, 
rigid tips is very characteristic. There are, however, many short, 
slender lateral branches. The leaves are simple and have bristle- 
toothed edges. This is one character which serves to distinguish the 
common barberry from the Japanese barberry, in which the leaves 
have smooth edges. The leaves normally grow in small groups or ro- 
settes upon short spurs in the axils of stiff thorns, These thorns rep- 
resent the leaves of the elongated shoots. The lower leaves on any 
shoot are usually typical, but the blades of the leaves are reduced in 
the later ones until only the stiff ribs are left as thorns. The number 
of points to a thorn is typically three, though there may be seven or 
more on the first ones produced and only one on those produced near 
the tip of the branch. They are arranged spirally on the branch, 
and the short, leafy spurs develop in their axils. 
In the second and subsequent years the flowers and fruit may 
develop from these short spurs. The flowers are } T ellow and are ar- 
ranged in racemes of 10 to 20 flowers each. The berries are bright 
red when ripe and contain two large seeds. They are very persistent, 
frequently remaining attached through the winter and even after the 
new leaves have developed in the spring. (PI. 2.) 
The bark of the barberry also is characteristic. On older shoots 
it is gray and stringy. An even more striking character for dis- 
tinguishing barberries from other shrubs is the canary-yellow color 
of the inner bark and wood. This yellow color is present in the 
roots as well as in the shoots and serves to distinguish the roots of the 
barberry from other roots when the bush is being dug. 
As the common barberry is an introduced ornamental shrub, it is 
most commonly found in ornamental plantings. It also occasionally 
has been used as a hedge plant or in the garden, where it is culti- 
vated for the berries, which are edible. The bush grows readily 
from seed, consequently escaped bushes may be found in the vicinity 
of plantings. Such bushes thrive in the northern part of the 
United States along fence rows and in natural pastures and open 
wood lots. In the deep shade of thick woods it does not thrive, but 
in open places in well-drained soil, especially in soil that is alkaline 
in its reaction, it reaches its greatest development. 
Most barberry bushes produce an abundance of fruit, and each 
berry normally contains two seeds. The berries are very persistent 
and, as has been said, may remain attached to the bush all winter. 
They do not seem to be the favorite food of any bird, and when 
other food is readily available they are scarcely touched by birds. 
During the winter, however, when other food becomes scarce, and 
especially during the early spring migration, many birds eat the 
berries of the barberry for the fleshy part of the fruit. The seeds 
seldom are destroyed by birds and may be regurgitated or may pass 
unharmed through the digestive tract. More than a dozen species 
of birds are known to eat the berries, and undoubtedly many others 
do so as occasion offers. Through this means barberry seeds may be 
distributed several miles from the parent bush (fig. 1 and pi. 3, B). 
Many seeds so distributed undoubtedly develop into mature bushes, 
which in turn may produce seed. 
Cattle also take an active part in the distribution of the barberry. 
It is not generally relished by cattle, but occasionally an animal 
