r- 1 r:
rounded at the base by several brown ovate bractes; stem-
ones on the young growing shoots on very long footstalks,
dilated at the base. Petioles densely covered with short
hairs, seated on little rough glands. Flower of a bright
yellow, solitary, slender, on a very long peduncle, about an
inch and a quarter in length, proceeding from the tufts of
leaves, up the stem. Peduncle slender, drooping, clothed
with a short glandular pubescence. Sepals 6, unequal in
size, of a bright yellow, ovate, concave on the upper side,
rounded at the points : 3 outer ones about one third the size
of the inner ones. Petals 6, opposite to the sepals, shorter
than the inner ones, ovate, entire, concave inwards, somewhat
undulate at the margins, rounded at the points, of a
deep orange colour. Stamens 6, opposite to the petals :
Jilaments carnose, thickened to where the anther is joined :
cells of the anther distinct, pedicelled, spreading; pollen
granular, glossy, having the appearance of minute grains of
glass. Ovarium smooth, roundly oval, tapering to the
stigma. Stigma large and fleshy, peltate, orbicular.
O u r d r a w i n g o f t h i s b e a u t i f u l a n d v a l u a b l e s p e c i e s o f B e r b e r r y , w a s
t a k e n f r o m a f i n e p l a n t i n f u l l f l o w e r i n M a r c h l a s t , a t t h e N u r s e r y o f
M e s s r s . L o w a n d C o . , o f t h e C l a p t o n N u r s e r y : i t w a s c o l l e c t e d b y M r .
A n d e r s o n , t h e C o l l e c t o r i n C a p t a i n K i n g ’ s e x p e d i t i o n t o t h e S t r a i t s o f
S p e d T h e p r e s e n t o n e w a s c o l -
M a , g e l l a n , a n d ' o t h ' e r p a r t s o f S o u t h ■ A '
m e r i c a .
l e c t e d i n t h e S t r a i t s o f M a g e l l a n , w h e r e t h e f r u i t i s u s e d a s w e u s e G o o s e -
b e r r i e s , b o t h g r e e n a n d r i p e , f o r m a k i n g p i e s a n d t a r t s , a n d o t h e r s w e e t m
e a t s o r p r e s e r v e s , f o r w h i c h i t i s m o s t e x c e l l e n t , t h e b e r r i e s b e i n g b l a c k
a n d a b o u t t h e s i z e o f a b l a c k c u r r a n t , a n d a r e p r o d u c e d i n g r e a t a b u n d a n c e .
T h e f l o w e r s a r e v e r y h a n d s o m e , b e i n g o f a b r i g h t y e l l o w a n d n o d d i n g , a n d
m a k e a v e r y e l e g a n t a p p e a r a n c e . M r . A n d e r s o n s a y s , t h e s p e c i e s e x t e n d s
f r o m C h i l o e t o t h e S t r a i t s o f M a g e l l a n , b u t s a y s , t h e p l a n t s i n C h i l o e a r e
m u c h l a r g e r a n d l o s e t h e i r l e a v e s i n w i n t e r ; a n d t h a t t h o s e f r o m t h e S t r a i t s
o f M a g e l l a n a r e e v e r g r e e n . A t M r . L o w ’ s N u r s e r y , t h e r e a r e p l a n t s a l s o o f
t h e d e c i d u o u s o n e , w h i c h w e b e l i e v e n o w p r o v e s t o b e a d i s t i n c t s p e c i e s .
T h i s s p e c i e s w i l l p r o v e a v a l u a b l e a d d i t i o n t o t h e g a r d e n s , a s i t w i l l
d o u b t l e s s b e q u i t e h a r d y , a n d w i l l c e r t a i n l y p r o d u c e a n a b u n d a n c e o f i t s
e l e g a n t f l o w e r s a n d d e l i g h t f u l f r u i t , w h i c h w i l l b e a g r e a t a c q u i s i t i o n f o r
m a k i n g s w e e t m e a t s a n d p r e s e r v e s , a n d f o r m a n y o t h e r c u l i n a r y p u r p o s e s :
i t w i l l d o u b t l e s s s t r i k e r e a d i l y f r o m l a y e r s , o r m a y h e i n c r e a s e d r e a d i l y h y
i n a r c h i n g o n t h e c o m m o n B e r b e r r y ; o r y o u n g c u t t i n g s , p l a n t e d u n d e r b e l l -
g l a s s e s i n p o t s o f s a n d , w i l l d o u b t l e s s s t r i k e r o o t r e a d i l y . T h e b e s t s o i l f o r
i t i s a m i x t u r e o f s a n d y l o a m a n d p e a t . B . empetrifolia h a s a l s o f l o w e r e d
a t t h e N u r s e r y a t C l a p t o n , a n d i s a p r e t t y l i t t l e d w a r f e v e r g r e e n s h r u b .
According to Linnæus, Berberis is an obscure Latin word. Golius (at
p. 246.) says it is the Arabic name of the plant.
1. The 3 outer Sepals of the Calyx. 2. The 3 inner ones. 3. The 6 Petals.
4. The 6 Stamens with 2-iobed anthers. 5. Ovarium terminated by the peltate Stigma.
6, One of the leaves from the growing branches.