N. o. rutace^:. 257 



removed by means of ether. After boiling the clear aqueous solution, ex- 

 cess of hydrochloric acid was added ; and on cooling, it deposited long, orange* 

 colored needles, which were collected and washed with dilute HC1. To 

 purify this product, it was dissolved in boiling dilute alkali, and the solution 

 digested with animal charcoal, filtered, treated withHCl, and allowed to cool ; 

 the yellow needles which separated were collected, washed with water, and 

 allowed to dry at the ordinary temperature. The product weighed 0*35 grams. 



This product was identical with Berberine. 



The inner bark also contains a trace of Berberine. It contains also 

 some quantity of a sticky, resinous product, which is insoluble in water or 

 dilute acids, but readily soluble in ether, and appeared to be identical with 

 the similar substance present in the yellow powder. 



The central woody portion of the root yielded no Berberine. 



-J. Ch. S. 1895 T 413. 



229. Skimmia laureola, Hook. /., h.f.b.i., i. 499. 



Syn. : — Limonia Laureola, Wall. 



Vern. : — Ner ; barru ; shalangli (Pb.) ; chumloni (Nepal) ; 

 Limburnyok (Lepcha). 



Habitat : — Throughout the temperate Himalaya, from 

 Murree to Mishmi and Khasia Mountains. In Dun Hills, a 

 common undershrub. 



An extremely aromatic, gregarious, evergreen shrub, glabrous 

 wholly, often a small tree in Sikkim. Branched from the base. 

 Branches and foliage very bright green, 3-5ft. high. Wood 

 close-grained, white, soft, with distinct white concentric white 

 lines. Wood has an aromatic scent when fresh cut. Bark thin, 

 bluish grey. Leaves alternate, simple, quite entire, midrib 

 prominent, Exceedingly variable in size, oblong-linear, elliptic- 

 lanceolate, or obovate-obtuse, acute or cordate-acuminate, 3-7in. 

 long, softly coriaceous, nerves indistinct ; petiole short, stout. 

 Panicles terminal, short, dense-flowered, branched. Females 

 smaller. Bracts and 2 bracteoles deciduous. Flowers 5-merous, 

 about Jin. diam., yellowish white, inodorous, shortly pedi- 

 celled. Sepals small. Petals oblong or obtuse ; filaments 

 stout, subulate. Ovary ovoid, minute, conic, 4- cleft in male 

 flowers ; style 1. 



Fruit J-fin. long, ellipsoid, red, fleshy. Seeds 1-3. Em- 

 bryo green. Kanjilal says the odour of the musk-deer is 

 propularly supposed to be derived from it, 



