holbœllia

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. n. A genus of climbing shrubs, of the natural order Berberideæ (Berberidaceæ), tribe Lardizabaleæ, the type of Endlicher's tribe Holbællieæ. Its technical characters are: monœcious flowers with 6 petaloid sepals and 6 minute stamens; the male flowers with 6 free stamens and rudimentary ovary, the female with 6 sterile stamens and 3 oblong carpels; berry oblong, indehiscent; leaves digitately 3- to 9-foliolate; flowers purple or greenish, in axillary racemes. Only 2 species are known, natives of the Himalaya region.