12 V. BERBERIDE^E. [Berber is. 



Western Himalaya 8000-12,000 ft., eastward as far as Nepal, Western Tibet. 

 Afghanistan, and Beluchistan, Europe, North and West Asia. Fl. March, 

 April. The pleasantly acid berries of this and some of the following species 

 are dried and imported from Afghanistan under the name of zirishk-tursh {sour 

 currants). 



B. Kunaivarensis, Royle 111. 64, may belong to this species. 



2. B. aristata, DC; Hook. Fl. Ind. i. 110. Syn. B. tinctoria, 

 Leschenault; W. & A. Prodr. 16 ; Wight 111. t. 8. Vern. Chitra, chotra, 

 totar, N.W.P. The following names probably apply to this and the two 

 following species in the Panjab Himalaya : Sumlu, simlu, kemal, kemlu, 

 kamla, kasmal, hammed, tutrum, chitra. 



An erect, spinous shrub. Leaves more or less persistent, coriaceous, 

 obovate or oblanceolate, entire, or with few, large, distant, spinescent 

 teeth, fasciculate on very short lateral branchlets, in the axil of a trifid 

 or simple spine with a broad base. Flowers in compound racemes, 

 pedicels often fasciculate. Berries often thickly covered with glaucous 

 bloom, cylindrical, tapering into a short style terminated by a small sub- 

 globose stigma. 



Outer Himalaya 6000-10,000 ft., from the Sutlej to Bhutan. Mountains of 

 South India and Ceylon. Fl. May-April. Hardy in England. The root of 

 this and the two following species (cldrhald, ddrchob), and the dried extract 

 (rasaut, rusot, rasut), are used in native medicine, and highly prized in 

 ophthalmia. The wood is used as fuel. 



3. B. Lycium, Eoyle j Hook. Fl. Ind. i. 110. Vern. Kushmul, N.-W.P. 



A rigid, erect, spinous shrub; bark white. Leaves simple, narrow, lanceo- 

 late or oblanceolate, coriaceous, mucronate, generally entire, bright green 

 above, glaucous beneath, w r ith prominent, lax, reticulate veins, fasciculate 

 on short tuberculate branchlets in the axils of trifid spines on a broad 

 base. Flowers pale, small, on elongate racemes. Berries violet, ovoid ; 

 stigma capitate, on a distinct style. 



Outer North- West Himalaya 3000-9000 ft., from Hazara to Garhwal. Fl. 

 April. Chiefly employed in Sirmore and Garhwal for making rusot (Royle). 



4. B. asiatica, Roxb. Fl. Ind. ii. 182; Hook. Fl. Ind. i. 110. 



A stout, erect, spinous shrub ; bark pale. Leaves simple, fasciculate, on 

 short tuberculate branchlets, often ^ in. long in the axils of short trifid 

 spines, which are often wanting ; obovate or orbicular, hard, coriaceous, 

 white beneath, with strong reticulate venation, lacunose between the 

 veins, subentire, or with large, distant, spinescent teeth. Flowers in short 

 corymbose racemes. Berries large, ovoid or often subglobose, red or black, 

 glaucous ; stigma capitate on a distinct style. 



Outer Himalaya 3000-7500 ft., Garhwal, Bhutan, Afghanistan. Parisnath 

 in Behar. Fl. March, April. The berries are eaten. 



5. B. nepalensis, Spreng. ; Hook. Fl. Ind. i. 109. Syn. B. Leschen- 

 aultii, Wall.; W. & A. Prodr. 16; Wight Icones t. 940; MaJionia 

 Nepalensis, DC. Vern. Amiidanda, chiror, Pb. 



