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B E R B E R I S dúlcis.
Sweet-fruited Berberry.
Linnean Class and Order. H E X A N D R IA M O N O G Y N IA .
Natural Order. B E R B E R ID EÆ . D C . reg. veg. syst. nat. 2. p . 1.
B E R B E R I S . Calyx 6-sepalus, sepalis ordine duplici dispositis, exterioribus
minoribus, extus squamulis 2-3 stipatus. P etala 6, ungue intùs
biglanduloso. Stamina 6 , filamentis edentulis, antherarum loculis discre-
tis. Ovarium 1 ovatum. Stylus 0. Stigma orbiculatum medio urabilica-
tum. Bacca ovata, 1-locularis, 2-3-sperraa, apice umbilicata aut foramine
pervia, bine intùs nervo è foramine deorsùm tendente lateraliter aucta. Semina
2, rarius 3, ad basin lateraliter inserta, erecta, oblonga, testâ crusta-
ceâ, albumine carnoso, cotyledonibus foliaceis ellipticis, radiculâ longa, apice
capitellata.— Frutices 2-6 pedes a lti. Rami teretes aut suhangulati. Folia
caulina et ramea, alterna, petiolata, primordialia grosse serrata, dentibus in
spinas productis, cætera primaria abortiva (1) et petiolo remanente indurato
in spinam simplicem trifidamve mutata, secundaria nempè axillaria se-
cusramulum floriferum brevissimum nascentia, conferta simplicia, integra
aut serrata, rarissimè omnia abruptè pinnata, petiolo brevissimo apice ut in
Tragacanthis indurato. Ramuli axillares, brevissimi pedúnculos nano solitariis
unifloros, nunc plurimos corymbosirn dispositis, nunc racémosos multi-
floros apice gerentes. F lores in omnibus fla v i. Baccæ sæpius acidoe sub-
adstringentes. Succus ri’MMCí eí foliorum acidus adstringens. DC. syst. veg.
syst. nat. p. 4.
B . dulcis, fruticoso ramoso, ramis flexuosis triangularis piloso-pubescentibus,
foliis oblongo-ellipticis apice spinoso-mucronatis margine cartilagineous :
caulinis longe petiolatis : axillis confertis breve petiolatis, petiolis piloso-
pubescentibus, floribus solitariis longe pedunculatis pendulis.
Stems shrubby, much branched, from 4 to 10 feet in
height : branches flexuose, acutely triangular, swollen a
littFc at the joints, densely clothed with short hairs on a
brown glossy bark. Spines 3 or 5, connected at the base,
and close pressed to the bunches of leaves ; flattened and
channelled on the under side ; the lower ones producing 5,
and spreading out like a fan ; the centre one longest and
pointing straight forward, scarcely half an inch in length,
the two next rather shorter, and the lower ones shorter and
more slender ; those higher up the stem connected in threes,
the centre one about half an inch in length and pointing
straight outwards ; the other 2 rather shorter, and pointing
at right angles. Leaves oblongly elliptic, or sometimes
lanceolate, terminated by a short spiny mucrone, attenuated
downwards with a cartilaginous margin, the veins much
branched, of a bright glossy green on the upper side, and
pale underneath; growing in tufts up the stem, where they
are of various sizes, some broader and others narrower, sur