B. vulgaris, Common Barberry.—Spines in three deep divisions ; leaves obovate, with fine spiny toethings ; flowers in drooping racemes, which are longer than the leaves. This common species appears to inhabit equally the north of Europe, Asia, and America, in woods and thickets, especially in limestone countries. De Candolle remarks that it extends in Europe from Candia to Christiania, and that while in northern latitudes it is a valley plant, it becomes in the south exclu sively a mountaineer, climbing so high on Mount ilitna as to be the most alpine of the shrubs of the sterile belt of that mountain at the height of 7500 feet. Like all such plants it has in the course of ages formed numerous varieties ; these are however chiefly confined to the fruit, there being a great similarity in-the foliage of all except one.
This species is usually a bush from four to six feet high ; but in Italy it becomes as large as a plum-tree, living a couple of centuries or more. The wood is hard but brittle, and is chiefly employed by the dyers for staining yellow. The acid qualities of this fruit render it unfit to eat raw, but it makes one of the most delicious of preserves.
B. Canadensis, Canadian Barberry.—Spincs divided into three equal lobes ; branches covered with little elevated points ; leaves oblong, distantly and coarsely toothed ; flowers in corymbose racemes, nodding. Found in the northern states of North America. It is generally con sidered the same as Berberis vulgaris, because the specimens called R.
Canadensis both in gardens and herbaria certainly are so ; but this, the true plant of Miller and others, appears to differ from the common species in the characters here assigned to it ; its leaves are moreover of a thicker texture.
B. cratwgina, Hawthorn Barberry.—Spines simple ; leaves oblong, strongly netted, with a straggling serrature here and there ; flowers in dense, drooping, many-flowered racemes, which are scarcely longer than the leaves. Described by De Candolle from specimens collected in Asia Minor.
B. I bcrica, Iberian Barberry.--Spines often simple, but sometimes 3-cleft ; leaves nearly undivided ; flowers in loose nearly erect racemes, much longer than the leaves. A native of Spain. The berries arc dark purple.
B. Sinensis, Chinese Barberry.—Spines 3-parted or none ; leaves lanceolate, very acute, much netted, entire, or regularly toothod; flowers numerous, in drooping racemes, which are not much longer than the leaves. A native of the north of India and of China, 3. Leaves leathery, evergreen ; Flowers solitary, or in clusters.
B. Wallichiana Barberry.—Spines long, slender, 3-parted ; leaves oblong, lanceolate, deep-green, sharp-pointed, finely serrated ; flowers very numerous, in clusters shorter than the leaves. A native of Nepaul, and apparently of the higher part of the country. B. atro viridis is another name for this species.
B. dads, Sweet-Fruited Barberry.—Spines long, slender, simple, or 3-parted ; leaves obovate, obtuse, with or without a bristly point,