By skyforbes 
Best viewed @ large size
Berberidaceae – China
Barrenwort, Bishop’s Hat, Fairy Wings, Horny Goat Weed, Yin Yang Huo
Shown: Detail of flower
“Epimedium, also known as Rowdy Lamb Herb, Barrenwort, Bishop’s Hat, Fairy Wings, Horny Goat Weed, or Yin Yang Huo…is a genus of about 60 or more species of herbaceous flowering plants in the family Berberidaceae. The large majority are endemic to southern China, with further outposts in Europe, and central, southern and eastern Asia.
“Epimedium species are hardy perennials. The majority have four-petaled “spider-like” flowers in spring. Many are believed to be aphrodisiacs, particularly horny goat weed.
“Some varieties and hybrids have been in Western cultivation for the last 100 to 150 years. There are now a wide array of new Chinese species being cultivated in the west, many of which have only recently been discovered, and a number of which have yet to be named. There are also many older Japanese hybrids and forms, extending the boundaries of the genus in cultivation. The majority of the Chinese species have not been fully tested for hardiness or indeed for any other aspect of their culture. The initial assumption that the plants would only thrive where their native conditions could be closely replicated have proven to be overly cautious, as most varieties are proving extraordinarily amenable to general garden and container cultivation.” (Wikipedia)
Additional views of E. acuminatum:
www.flickr.com/photos/jim-sf/5204296329/
www.flickr.com/photos/jim-sf/5204896508/
Photographed in U.C. Botanical Garden at Berkeley – Berkeley, California