On some points in the Histology and Physio- 
logy of the Fruits and Seeds of Rhamnus. 
BY 
H. MARSHALL WARD, M.A., F.L.S., 
Fellow of Christ's College , Cambridge, and Professor of Botany in the Forestry 
School, Cooper’s Hill, 
ASSISTED BY 
JOHN DUNLOP. 
With Plates I and II. 
OME time ago my attention was directed to some curious 
O facts about ‘ Persian Berries,’ the fruits of certain 
species of Rhamnus used in dyeing. It had long been known 
that a beautiful golden yellow solution can be obtained by 
simply macerating these fruits in water, and various re- 
searches on the part of chemists had demonstrated that the 
dye is obtained chiefly if not entirely from the husks (peri- 
carps) ; at the same time dyers and others knew that the 
crushed berries yield a satisfactory colouring matter, whereas 
the pericarps alone do not. For some reason it is necessary 
to employ the inner parts of the fruits as well as the pericarps ; 
these inner parts of course include the seed when the berries 
are crushed whole, as is the usual practice. Various species 
of Rhamnus — R. Amygdalina , R. infectorius (R. oleoides 1 ), 
R. saxatilis , &c. — are employed as ‘ Persian Berries,’ and 
although the following remarks apply particularly to R. 
infectorius , there are reasons for believing that they may 
apply generally to other species also. 
1 Mr. Thiselton Dyer informs me that this is a synonym of R, Amygdalina . 
[ Annals of Botany, Vol. I. No. I. August 1887. ] 
B 
