186 TREES AND TREE-PLANTING. 
ers these hill-sides, and upon almost barren, rocky places, 
especially the felspathic granite, and porphyritic forma- 
tions. It flowers in May, and ripens its fruit in August 
and September. The fruit is acidulous, and in flavor re- 
minds one of the lime; dark purple in color, and cov- 
ered with a bluish bloom. 
The botanical description of the holly-leaved berberry 
is as follows: It is a shrub which grows to the height 
of six feet, on the Pacific coast, with leaflets in pairs 
from seven to eleven; the lower pair distant from the 
stem, ovate to oblong-lanceolate, one and one half to four 
inches long, acuminate, evergreen, shining above, numer- 
ous spinous teeth; racemes one and one half to two inch- 
es long, clustered chiefly in the subterminal axils; fruit 
globose. 
The root of this plant is the part which is used as med- 
icine. It is extremely hard and tough, of a bright, gold- 
en-yellow color, with an intense but pleasant bitter taste. 
It yields its virtues to water and dilute alcohol, and 
makes a very good medicinal preparation. The medic- 
inal extracts of this plant are useful in the complaint 
known as “mountain fever,” which is a bilious fever 
often assuming the typhoid form; and they are also valu- 
able in venereal affections, and in disorders of the stomach 
arising from improper and insufficient food, privations, 
etc., to which persons are often subjected in the western 
mountain country. Its berries are often employed as a 
remedy in scurvy, and are made into sauce and used as 
food. 
