BER'BERIS ACTINACAN'THA. 
Class. 
hexandria. 
ray-spined barberry. 
Order. 
monogxnia. 
Natural Order. 
BERBERIDACEjE, 
Native of 
Valparaiso. 
Height. 
4 feet. 
Flowers in 
May, June. 
Habit. 
Shrub. 
Introduced 
in 1838. 
No. 1176. 
Of the generic name, Beriberis, veiy little is known, 
otherwise than that its use can be traced back to a 
very remote period amongst Eastern nations. The 
term actinacantha is adopted from the ray-like posi- 
tion of the spines. 
Although this is a shrub of smaller growth than 
most of the Barberries, it will sometimes attain three 
or four feet in height, especially if assisted by a wall, 
which will not only encourage its growth, but will 
generally preserve it as an evergreen. It is a most 
abundant flowerer; and its flowers afford a plea- 
sant fragrance, a quality that is always desirable in 
the garden. 
Although many of the newly-introduced Barberries 
produce fruit, none has been found to be so useful 
as that of the British species ; and it should be known 
that some species when permitted to take their natu- 
ral growth, as low spreading bushes, continue bar- 
ren, but become fruitful on being trained as stand- 
ards on single stems. 
This shrub may be propagated by layers, suckers, 
or seed; suckers, however, are not so freely pro- 
duced, as by most others of the Barberries. 
