. Flowers of the field. Botany. THALAMIFLOR^ Natural Order IT —THii Barberry Family Sepals 3, 4, or 6, in a double row, often coloured, soon falling off, surrounded by petal-like scales ; petals cither equal in number to the sepals, or opposite to them, or twice as many, often with c! gland at the base ; stamens equal in number to the petals, raid opposite to them ; anthers opening by a valve from the base upwards; ovary solitary, i-celled, i- to 3-seeded, generally turning to a berr}'. Shrubs, growing principally in mounlvinous parts of the temperate zones, especially in the north
. Flowers of the field. Botany. THALAMIFLOR^ Natural Order IT —THii Barberry Family Sepals 3, 4, or 6, in a double row, often coloured, soon falling off, surrounded by petal-like scales ; petals cither equal in number to the sepals, or opposite to them, or twice as many, often with c! gland at the base ; stamens equal in number to the petals, raid opposite to them ; anthers opening by a valve from the base upwards; ovary solitary, i-celled, i- to 3-seeded, generally turning to a berr}'. Shrubs, growing principally in mounlvinous parts of the temperate zones, especially in the north of India. Several species have thorny stems and astringent bark, and furnish a yellow dye ; the berries are acid—those of our species. Berheris Asiatica, are dried in the sun like raisins. Several handsome species arc culti^•ated in gardens under the name of Malwnia. I. Berberis (Barberry).—Sepals 6 ; petals 6, with 2 glands at the base of each ; jruit, a berry with 1-3 seeds. (Name said to be of Arabic origin.) 2. Epimedium (Barrenwort).—Sepals 4; petals 4, with a scale at the base of each ; pod many-seeded. (Name of uncertain origin.) I. Berderis (Barberry) I. B. vulgaris (Common Barberry).—A pretty shrub, not uncommon in woods and hedges, remark- able for the light colour of its bark, which is yellow within, and for its 3-forked spines. The flowers are yellow, and grow in drooping clusters ; the filaments are elastic and irritable, so that when touched ever so lightly by the legs of an insect they spring forward and close on the pistil, scattering the pollen from, the anthers as they do so ; after some time they recover their original posi- tion. The berries are oblong, red when ripe and gratefully acid, and may be made into an agreeable preserve. Probably not a true native.—Fl. June. Perennial. 2. EpisrEDiUM [Barrenwort) I. E. Alpinum (Alpine Barrenwort).—The only species found in Britain, occarrmg here and there in mountainous woods in some parts of Scotla
Size: 1155px × 2165px
Photo credit: © The Book Worm / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, booksubjectbotany, bookyear1908
