î 7 or 8 f e e t; but it grows slowly afterwards, unless the suckers are removed
irom It as they are produced. I t is seldom seen above 10 ft. high ; but there
are examples o f trees of it 30 ft. high, probably of 30 years’ growth. The
inner bark, both ot the stems and roots, affords a yellow dve. The leaves are
agreeably acid, and, according to Gerard, were used in hi.s time “ to season
neat with, and instead of a salad, like sorrel.” The berries are so acid, th a t
buds seldom touch them. They are not eaten raw, but are excellent when
preserved with sugar in .syrup, or candied. They are also made into jelly and
loh, both of which are not only delicious to the ta ste, but extremely wholesome
; and they are pickled in vinegar, when green, as a substitute fo? capers.
The plant is cultivated in gardens as a fruit tree or fruit .shrub : and the
variety, or rather variation, in which the seeds are said to be wanting, and
th a t in which the triiit is sweet, are recommended in preference. The nlant
makes an excellent hedge ; but there exists a prejudice against it among agri-
cultuiists, from Its supposed influence in producing blight, or mildew, on the
corn adjoining I t . This opinion is o f unknown a ntiquity; but it is now ee-
neralJy considered to be an erroneous prejudice.
s 3. B. ( y .) EMARGINA'TA IVil/a. The eraarginate-yicfa/crf Berberry.
Identification Willd. E num., 1. p. 39.1. ; Uec. P ro d ., 1. p. 10,5. • Don Mill, I . p . 115.
Synonyme. Ausgorandpte (se rra ted ) Berberitze Ger
Engravings. Hayne Abbild., t. 62. ; and oorfig s. 55. and 56.
Spec. Char., 4c. Spines 3 -parted. Leaves lanceolate-obovate, c ila tely serrated.
Racemes scarcely pendulous, shorter
than the leaves ; petals emarginate.
{Don.1 Mill.) A
^ deciduous shrub.
Siberia. Heiglit
.7 ft. to 7 ft. Intro-■'
dticed in 1820.
Flowers yellow ;
May and June, j
Berries red ; ripe
in -September. Decaying
leaves yellow.
Naked young
wood whitish yel-
‘ 56. BiVieWiemarginhfa.
5 5. emdi-yinitta. , .
, . , . . , , , Closely resembling B. v ulga ris, o f
wtiich It IS, d o u b tle s s, o n l y a v a r ie ty ; b u t it is o n e h a lf smaller i n all its p a rts,
a n d has th e p e ta ls em a rg in a te , an d th e leaves d ec id ed ly glau co u s.
4. B. (v .) c r e ' t i c a L . The Cretan Berberri.
Ideatificaiiori. Lin. Sp., 47'^.;
D f ’c . P rod. 1. p .106.; D o n ’s
Mill., 1. p. 1 10.
Synonymes. B. crética ¿uxi-
fòlia T ourn \ Vinettier de
Crête, iò ’.-, Cretische Berberitze,
Ger. ; Candian
Berberry.
E ngravings. F l.G ræ c ., t.212.;
and oavjigs. 57. and 58.
S2)ec.Chm\,Sçc, Spines
3—5-partetl. Leaves
oval-oblong, entire,
or somewhat serrated.
Racemes 3—8-
flowrd., rather short-
«7. er than the leave.s. j,.
{Doris Mill.) A deciduous shrub, crowded with shoots. Crete, Candia,
and, perhafis, Japan. Height 3 ft. to 4 ft. Introduced in 1759. Flowers
yellow ; May and June. Berries ovate, black ; ri|ie in September. Decaying
leaves whitish yellow. Naked young wood also whitish.
The leaves are produced without any obvious order ; they are small, and in
their shape they resemble those of the narrowTeaved variety of the common
box. The berries are ovate, black, 2-seeded, more astringent than acid ;
stigma on a very short style.
SÈ 5. B . (v .) c b a t/e 'g in a Dec. The Crataegus-like Berberry.
Identification. Dec. Syst., 2. p .9 .; Do n ’s
Mill., l . p . 116.
Engraving. Owe fig . .59. from a specimen
in th e Hort. Soc. Garden.
Spec. Char., 4c. Spines simple.
Leaves oblong, reticulated,
hardly serrated. Racemes
many-flowered, crowded,
spreading, scarcely longer
than the leaves. {Don's Mill.)
A deciduous glaucous-leaved
shrub. Asia Minor. Height
4 ft. to 6 ft. Introduced in
1823. Flowers yellow ; May
and June. Berries red ; ripe
ill September.
Distinguished from all the
other species, by the leaves being
long, flaccid, entirely glaucous,
orwhitish Young shoots brown. B rA rU « a tEe ’g in a , n a t, s i » .
A plant bearing this name in the Horticultural Societvs Garden is 5 ft.
high, with the leaves much longer than those of B. vulgaris ; serrated, as in
th a t species, and decidedly glaucous. In other respects we can see no
difference.
a 6 . B. ib b 'r ic a Stev. The Iberian Berberry.
Identification. Do n ’s Mill., 1. p. 115. ; and L in d t, Pen. Cyc,, 4. p. 61.
Sunonyrnes. B. vulgaris ? v. ibérica Dec. Syst. 2. p. 6. ; B. sinénsis Wal.
Engravings. Dend. B rit., t. 26., as B . sinénsis ; and onr fig . 60.
Spec. Char., 4_c. Spines simple, and 3-parted; leaves obovate-
oblong, quite entire. Racemes many-flowered ; petals entire.
{Dori's Mil!.) A deciduous shrub. Iberia. Height 3 ft. to
5 ft. Introduced in 1790. Flowers yellow; May and June.
Berries dark purple ; ripe in September. Decaying leaves yellowish
red. Naked young wood reddish yellow.
Readily distinguished from the common berberry by its smaller ^
and smoother leaves, its red shoots, and its almost upright racemes ; ^
and from B . sinensis by the leaves being comparatively entire.
Si 7. B . c a n a d e 'n s is Mill. The Canadian Berberry.
Identification. P u rsh ’s F l. Amer. Sept., 1. p. 219. ; Dec. P ro d ., I. p. 106. ; D o n ’s Mill., 1. p. 115.
T o r. and Gray, 1. p. 50.
Synonymes. B. vulgàris Mx. Fl. Bor. Amer.. 1. p. 205.; B . vulgàris var. canadénsis
No . 1.
F.ngruvings. Hayne Abbild., t. 63. ; and oar fig . 61. afte r th a t author.
Spec. Char., 4c. Branches verrucose, dotted, with short triple spines ; leaves
spatulate, oblong, remotely serrate, with somewhat bristly teeth ; racemes
sub-corymbose, few-flowered ; petals emarginate ; berries subglobose, or
oval. (T o r. and Gray.) A deciduous shrub. Canada to Georgia. Height
2 ft. to 3 ft., in England 5 ft. Introduced in 1759. Flowers yellow;