K 
BES 
, S V 
the root, to the height of eight or ten feet, which 
have a white bark, yellow on the infide ; the ftalks 
and branches are armed with fharp thorns, which 
commonly grow by threes •, the leaves are oval, ob- 
tufe, and Slightly fawed on their edges. The flowers 
come out from the wings of the leaves, in final! ra- 
mofe bunches, like thofe of the Currant-buSh, which 
are yellow ; thefe are Succeeded by oval fruit, which 
are firft green, but when ripe turn to a fine red co- 
lour. The flowers appear in May, and the fruit ripens 
in September. 
There are two or three varieties of this Shrub, which 
have been mentioned as diftindt fpecies •, one is the 
Berberis fine nude©. C. B; P. Barberry without ftone. 
The fecond is Berberis frudiu albo. Barberry with 
white fruit. The third is the Berberis orientalis pro- 
cerior frudtu nigro fuavifiimo. Tourn. Cor. 'Taller 
Eafiern Barberry with a black fweet fruit. The firft 
of thefe is certainly accidental, becaufe the fuckers, 
taken from thofe bufhes being transplanted, com- 
monly produce fruit with ftones ; fo it is the age of 
the plant which occafions that variation. The fort 
with white fruit feldom bears •, the leaves of this are 
of a lighter green colour, and the bark of the ftalks 
are whiter than thofe of the common, which are the 
only differences between them, for the fruit is feldom 
produced here. The third fort appears the fame with 
the common, and only differs in the colour and fla- 
vour of the fruit, fo is only a variety. 
The common fort is generally propagated by fuckers, 
which are put out in great plenty from the root ; 
but thefe plants are very fubjedt to- fend out fuckers, 
in greater plenty than thofe which are propagated by 
layers ; therefore the latter method Should be pre- 
ferred. The belt time for laying -down the branches 
is in the autumn, when their leaves begin to fall •, 
the young Shoots of the fame year are the belt for 
this purpofe •, thefe will be well rooted by the next 
autumn, when they may be taken off, and planted 
‘ where they are defigned to remain. Where this plant 
is cultivated for its fruit, it Should be planted Angle, 
(not in hedges, as was the old practice) and the 
fuckers every autumn taken away, and all the grofs 
Shoots pruned out : by this method the fruit will be 
much fairer, and in greater plenty, than upon thofe 
which are Suffered to grow wild. A few of thefe 
Shrubs may be allowed to have place in wilderneffes, 
or plantations of Shrubs, where they will make a 
pretty variety, and the fruit will be food for the birds; 
but they ihould not be planted in great quantities, 
near walks which are much frequented, becaufe their 
flowers emit a very Strong difagreeable odour. 
The Canada Sort was more common in the EngliSh 
gardens, Some years paft, than at prefent. The leaves 
of this are much broader, and Shorter than thofe of 
the common fort, and the fruit is black when ripe. 
This may be propagated in the fame way as the 
common fort, and is equally hardy. 
The Box-leaved fort is at prefent very rare in Eng- 
land ; and while young, the plants are Somewhat 
tender, fo have been killed by fevere froft. This 
never rifes more than three or four feet high in Eng- 
land, but fends out many ftalks fro A the root, which 
are Strongly armed with fpines at every joint ; the 
leaves are produced without order, and are Shaped 
like thofe of the narrow-leaved Box- tree ; the flowers 
come out from between the leaves, each upon a 
Slender foot-ftalk; but thefe are not fucceeded by fruit 
in England. 
This fort may be propagated by laying down the 
branches in the fame manner as the firft ; but when 
the young plants are taken off, they Should be planted 
in pots, and Sheltered under a frame in the winter, 
till they have obtained Strength, when they may be 
turned out of the pots, and planted in a warm Si- 
tuation. 
BERMUDI A N A. , See Sisyrinchium. 
BERN A RBI A. See Croton. 
BES LERI A 
This plant was named- after Bafilius Befler, an apo- 
' 7 / 
BES 
thecary at Nuremberg, who was the author of a book, 
intitled Hortus Eyftetenfis. 
The Characters are, 
The fewer is of the perforated or lip kind , with an ent - 
palement of one leaf which is eretl y and cut into five 
acute parts at the brim : the flower is of one leaf and 
quinquefd ; the fegments being rounaijh , the lower being 
large j, and the two upper are lefs divided ; it hath four 
- Jlamina in the tube of the ftower , two of which are longer 
than the other , crowned by fmall fummits : the oval ger- 
med fupports an awl-Jhaped ftyle , crowned by an acute 
ftigma ; this afterward becomes an oval berry , with one 
cell filled with fmall feeds. 
This genus of plants is ranged in the fecond fecHon 
of Linnaetis’s twelfth clafs, intitled Didynamra An- 
giofpermia, the flower having two long and two 
Short Stamina, and the feeds being included in a 
capfule. 
The Species are, 
1. Besleria ( Melitiifolia ) pedunculis ramofis, fbliis 
ovatis. Lin. Sp. Plant. 619. Bejleria with branching 
foot-ftalks and oval leaves . Be fieri a Meliftae Tragi foilo. 
Plum. Nov. Gen. 29. 
2. Besleria ( Lute a ) pedunculis fimplicibm confertis, 
folds lanceolatis. Lin. Sp. Plant. 619. Bejleria with 
Jimple foot-ftalks growing in clufters , and jpear-fhaped- 
leaves. Befleria virgas aurese folks (lore luteo minor. 
Plum. Nov. Gen. 29. 
3. Besleria ( Criftata ) pedunculis fimplicibus folitariis,- 
involucris pentaphyliis propriis. Lin. Sp. Plant. 619. 
Bejleria with Jimple folks growing Jingle ^ and a five-leaved 
involucrum. Befleria fcandens criftata fructu nigro. 
Plum. Nov. Gen. 29. 
The firft fort hath a fmooth woody ftalk which is 
jointed ; at each joint are placed two oval nervous 
leaves oppofite, which are crenated on their edges ; 
the flowers come out from the wings of the leaves, 
upon Short branching foot-ftalks, each Sustaining fix 
or eight flowers, which Stand each upon a Separate 
fmaller foot-ftalk. Thefe are of one leaf, of an 
anomalous figure, and quinquefid •, after the flower 
is paft, the germen becomes an oval loft berry, with 
one cell filled with fmall feeds. 
The fecond fort rifes with a ligneous item fix or fe- 
ven feet high, dividing toward the top into many ir- 
regular branches, garnifhed with fpear-fhaped fawned 
leaves, which have many tranfverfe veins ; the flowers 
come out at the wings of the leaves, in large clufters, 
each having a feparate foot-ftalk : thefe are fmall, 
tubulous, and of a pale yellow colour, and are fuc- 
ceeded by round foft berries, inclofing many fmall 
feeds. 
The third fort hath a creeping ftalk, which fends out * 
roots at every joint, garnimed with oval leaves 
placed oppofite, which have many tranfverfe ribs, 
and are Sharply fawed on their edges ; from the wings 
of the leaves come out the foot-ftalks of the flowers 
Single, each Sustaining one tubulous, irregular, hairy 
Slower, divided at the top into five obtufe parts, with 
a large five-leaved involucrum, deeply fawed on the 
border : after the flower is paft, the germen becomes 
a hairy placenta, in the center of the empalement, 
containing many fmall feeds. 
Thefe plants grow naturally in the warm parts cf 
America. The feeds ihould be Sown on a hot-bed 
early in the Spring ; and when the plants are come 
up half an inch high, they Should be each tranfplanted 
into a fmall pot filled with light frefh earth, and 
plunged into a hot-bed of tanners bark, obferving to 
water and fhade them until they have taken root ; 
after which time they Should have air and water in 
proportion to the warmth of the feafon, and the heat 
of the bed in which they are placed. When the 
plants have filled thefe fmall pots with their roots, 
■ they Should be Shaken out of them, and their roots 
trimmed, and put into larger pots filled with light 
frefh earth, and plunged into the hot-bed again ; where 
they Should have a large Share of air in warm 
weather, and muft be frequently watered. With this, 
management the plants will thrive very well iaftjmmer. 
