262 
BERBERIS 
divided into two sections. In § 1, Mahonia (Nutt.), the leaves are 
pinnate ; many sp. are cultivated in shrubberies. In § 2, Euberberis . 
the leaves are simple, but usually show a joint where the blade meets 
the petiole, seeming to indicate a derivation from a compound leaf. 
There are also ‘short’ and ‘long’ shoots (cf. Coniferae) in this section, 
to which B. vulgaris belongs. The latter have their leaves meta- 
morphosed into spines (usually tripartite) ; transitions may often be 
seen. The former stand in the axils of the spines and bear green 
leaves and racemes of firs, (afterwards sometimes elongating to ‘long’ 
shoots). The fir. has the structure typical of the order; its pollination 
mechanism is interesting. The upper surface of the base of each sta. 
is sensitive to contact, and when it is touched by an insect in search 
of honey (secreted by the nectaries upon the bases of the inner 
perianth leaves) the sta. springs violently upwards, covering the side 
of the visitor’s head with pollen, which it may place on the stigma in 
the next fir. visited. The fruit is sometimes made into preserves. 
[Monograph of § Mahonia by Fedde, in Engl. Bot. Jahrb. 31, p. 30.] 
A very interesting point about the common barberry is its connec- 
tion with the disease known as rust , which occurs on wheat and other 
Gramineae. The fungus (. Puccinia graminis or Aecidium berberidis) 
passes through two alternating stages in its life history, one on the 
grass, the other on the barberry, so that if there are no barberry plants 
in a district, it is to a large extent, though by no means absolutely, 
insured against rust. See text-books, or Ward’s Diseases of Plants. 
Berchemia Neck. Rhamnaceae. 15 sp. E. and S.E. As., N. Am., 
trop. Afr. 
Bergenia Moench. = Saxifraga Tourn. (7 sp. As.). 
Bergia Linn. Elatinaceae. 20 sp. trop. and temp. 
Berkkeya Ehrh. Compositae (x). 80 sp. Afr. 
Berlandiera DC. Compositae (v). 4 sp. S. and E. U.S. 
Bernardia Roust, ex. P. Br. Euphorbiaceae (A. 11. 2). 24 sp. Brazil 
to W. Ind. and S. U.S. 
Bernoullia Oliv. Bombacaceae ( Sterculiaceae B. H.). 1 sp. C. Am. 
Berria Roxb. ( Berrya ). Tiliaceae. 2 sp. Indo-Mal. , Tahiti. 
Berteroa DC. = Alyssum Tourn. (5 sp. Eur. As., Medit.). 
Bertholletia Humb. et Bonpl. Lecythidaceae. 2 sp. trop. S. Am. 
The frt. is a large woody capsule, containing seeds with hard woody 
testa and oily endosperm — the Brazil nuts of commerce. “This 
tree takes more than a year to produce and ripen its fruits. In... 
January I observed the trees loaded at the same time with flowers 
and ripe fruits... .The fruits, nearly as hard and heavy as cannon-balls, 
fall with tremendous force from the height of 100 feet.... Persons are 
sometimes killed by them” (Wallace). The fruit is indehiscent and 
the seeds are procured by opening it with an axe. It is closed by a 
plug formed of the hardened calyx, and in germination the seedlings 
escape here (Watson, Ann. Bot. xv. 1901, p. 99). 
