92 Mr. Rove on the Lycium of Dioscorides. 
The Barberry is called amburbarees, as in Avicenna, quoted by De Candolle : 
its Persian synonyms are zerishk, zaruj, zurunj, zurak,—all having reference to 
its yellow colour,—derived apparently from zur, gold, and closely assimilating 
to zuhruj, before referred to under Aooziz. The bark of the root is called 
arghees, of which the synonyms are in Persian equivalent to * bark of the yel- 
low root," *bark of the root of Barberry." "The plant itself is described as 
being “a thorny plant; that its thorns are triple, that is, wherever they occur, 
three come out together; an inhabitant of the lower hills in Khorassan and 
Shirwan, and towards Shiraz, in Syria and in Room (that is, Turkey); but that 
the kind which is found in Khorassan and Shirwan is preferable on account 
of the fruit being full of juice and free from seeds; but in the environs of 
Shiraz it is found full of seeds; and that which grows in lofty and cold places 
is always the best. Its leaves are like those of Yasmin, but longer and nar- 
rower: its flowers are yellow, with a shade of white, crowded together near 
the tops of the branches; fruit oblong, and clustered together; when unripe 
green, afterwards red, and finally purple. The plant varies in height from 
two to three fathoms, or is about the size of an apple-tree," &c. 
From this description, it is evident that the Barberry was well known to the 
old Arabian and Persian authors ; and though the knowledge of the fact seems 
to have been lost, I think it is evident they were aware that the Indian hooziz 
was made from the wood dar-huld and the plant zuAraj: this is more clearly 
stated by the later authors who had communication with Hindoo physicians. 
It has been proved that the Indian Aooz?z is rusof, and that both it and the 
wood dar-huld are the produce of species of Barberry; that the Greek name 
loofyon, or lookyon, is given asa synonym of hooziz, followed by the descrip- 
tion of Lycium, vx», as given in the 133rd chapter of the 1st Book of Dios- 
eorides: we may therefore, I think, safely conclude that the Indian Lycium 
was then, as now, made from the wood and root of species of Barberry. 
Whether the Arabian hooziz was the produce of a distinct plant, or only an 
artificial compound of myrrh, aloes and saffron, does not so clearly appear. 
The Lycium of Asia Minor may have been made from different species of 
Rhamnus, or from Rhamnus infectorius only ; but it may also have been made 
from Berberis vulgaris, as formerly inferred. 
In conclusion, it remains only to add, that the rusot is at the present day 
