68 NATURAL HISTORY OF PLANTS. 



at from 5000 to 8000 feet ; and B. pinnata is prevalent at from 

 6000 to 7000 feet. Leschenault be la Tour found B. tmctoria, 

 which is the same as B. asiatica, at the Neilgherries in 11° of 

 latitude at 8000 feet of elevation." In discussing the opinions of 

 authors on the origin of Lycium, Eoyle remarked that there was no 

 trace of a description of a Berberis in Dioscorides. Curious to know 

 whether the Arabs or Persians had written thereon, he investigated 

 their literature ; found good descriptions of Berberis, named Ambur- 

 barees, by Avicenna, with the Persian synonymes Zerishk, Zurunj, and 

 Zurak, words referring to the yellow colour of the wood and the flowers. 

 In India two useful species of Berberis are distinguished " by the 

 names of Kushmul 1 and Chitra. The former growing at low eleva- 

 tions (3000 feet), and therefore easily acclimated in the plains of 

 India, has the leaves and branches paler-coloured, more thorny ; 

 flowers numerous ; racemes erect, appearing earlier in the season, 

 and having less pleasant tasted fruit ; while Chitra, which I conceive 

 to be the true B. aristata,' I have not found below 5000 feet of ele- 

 vation, with brownish coloured branches, smooth shining and almost 

 entire leaves, each flower much larger than those of Kushmul, though 

 less numerous, on each of the drooping racemes. The fruit of this 

 species, as well as that of B. nepalensis, is dried as raisins are in 

 the sun and sent down into the plains for sale." In our days berbe- 

 rine has been used under the name of quinoide as a succedanseum of 

 quinine in cases of intermittent fever, neuralgia, &c. The root of 

 the Berberis has been fraudulently substituted for Rhubarb and for 

 Pomegranate. 3 The leaves and berries are acidulous. From the 

 latter are prepared wine, a syrup, and very pleasant subacid pre- 

 serves. 4 The sugar contained in the pericarp makes it afford a 

 fermented liquor. This is especially the case with the Ma/ionias,* 



1 This is the true B. Lycium Royle (B. 4 The same properties are found in the acidu- 



angustifoha Roxb., Fl. Lid., ii. 183 ?— B. lous edible fruits of B. asiatica Roxb. {hypo- 



flonbunda Wall., Cat., n. 1474?). It is chiefly leuca Likdl.), canadensis Mill., emarginata 



used ior making ruzot in the Gursawal and at W., empetrifolia Lame., glauca H. B. K., ilici- 



Sn ' m ° r . < ;- f olia Foest., lutea R. & Pav., microphylla 



DC, Syst., 11. 8 ; Prod,:, i. 108 (B. CM- Forst., minor Foest., sibirica Pall., sinensis 



tria Don, Tent. Fl. Nepal., 204;— Hook., Exot. Desf., tomentosa R, & Pav. 



JJ.t.98)- "Arab.Ambtirbarees,--Pers.Zirishk. 5 Notably 31. Aquifolivm Xutt. (Berberis 



The wood is named Dar-Kuld or Darchob ; the Aquifolium Puesh), of North America; M 



extract hooziz, in Hindoo ruzot." nepalensis DC. (B. nepalensis SrEEXG.), and 



Gtjibouet (Prog. Sinvpl., ed. 6, iii. 282) fascicularis DC. (B. pinnata Lagasc), fre- 



has given their distinctive characters. quently cultivated in our gardens 



