This magnificent barberry ranks as one of the best plants introduced into cultivation as a result of Mr. H. F. Comber's expeditions to the Andes during the years 1925-27. It is apparently perfectly hardy, grows vigorously, flowers and fruits profusely and is easily propagated by cuttings or from seed. Plants grown from seed flower in less than three years, and the flowering shoots shown before the Royal Horti- cultural Society in April, 1931, when a First Class Certificate was awarded to the species, were cut from plants grown from seed received in this country in 1927-only four years pre- viously. The species was first shown by the late Sir William Lawrence on April 8th, when it received a Preliminary Com- mendation; a fortnight later, on April 21st, it was shown again and was then awarded the Society's First Class Certificate as a hardy flowering shrub, the exhibitor on this occasion being Lt.-Colonel L. C. R. Messel, of Nymans, Handcross, Sussex, who also supplied the material for our plate. As indicated the plants flower during April, and the fruits are ripe about the beginning of July. Comber found B. linearifolia in three localities, Pirehuaico, Lanin to Puesco, and Lago Lolog, and it was at the latter place that he collected the seeds of his number 797 from which the plants in cultivation were raised. Not all the plants grown from seed of this number, however, are true B. linearifolia, and in an interesting article in the Gardeners' Chronicle (l.c.), Comber explains how this comes about. It.

B. Grisebachii Lechler