▪︎ Indian Barberry, Boxthorn Barberry (Berberis lycium) in Barberry Family (Berberidaceae) in West Himalaya, from Pakistan to East Nepal, at altitudes of 1500-3000 m.
Berberis (Arabic word) referring to fruit of barberry. Specific Epithet lycium from Lycia (ancient Turkey) used for medicinal extracts. Daru दारु 'wood or tree' & Haridra हरिद्रा 'turmeric' refers to plant's bright Yellow wood & root bark - Turmeric (Curcuma longa).
Indian Lycium, Indian Barberry, Boxthorn Barberry • Hindi: कसमले Kasmale, दारुहळी Daruhaldi, Chatrol • Kumaon: Kirmora • Urdu: ﺍﹺﺷﻜﻴﻦ Ishkeen, Kushmul, Zarch • Gujarati: કસમલ Kasmal • Kashmiri: Kaav Dachh کاؤ دچھ
Erect or sub-erect woody branches with pale, Whitish to Grayish bark. Stem is terete (cylindrical) to subsulcate (slightly grooved).
Spines: trifid (3-pronged) spines, 10-20 mm long, arranged alternately on stem at intervals of 1.5-3.5 cm.
Leaves: subsessile & arranged in dense clusters (3-9 per node). Oblanceolate to narrowly obovate-oblong, 2-7 cm in length. Upper surface is dark dull Green, underside is pale & conspicuously glaucous (covered with a waxy bloom).
Small, bright Yellow flowers arranged in dense corymbose racemes that typically emerge from axillary clusters.
● Sepals: Usually 6 light Yellow Sepals arranged in 2 whorls; outer 3 are significantly smaller than inner 3. Some variants may have up to 9 Sepals in 3 whorls.
● Petals: Generally 6 (occasionally 7) bright Yellow, obovate Petals with an emarginate apex. Each Petal has 2 nectaries at its base.
● Androecium: 6 Stamens (sometimes 7) placed opposite Petals. They are bithecous & adnate. Anthers dehisce via valves Anther lobes move away from filament & curve upwards to expose pollen.
● Gynoecium (Pistil): A single superior Pistil with a short, hollow Style & a round, wet Stigma that has a central depression. Ovary is unilocular & contains 3-5 (rarely 6) anatropous ovules.
Species is protogynous, meaning Stigma becomes receptive (often while still in bud stage) before Anthers dehisce. A specialized pollination mechanism exists where Stamens are sensitive to touch. When an insect's proboscis touches Stamen base to reach nectar, Stamen snaps toward Stigma to deposit pollen. Primarily entomophilous (insect-pollinated), with honey bees (Apis cerana & Apis mellifera).
Fruits are berries, ovoid (egg-shaped), ellipsoid-ovoid or obovoid-subglobose in shape. Immature fruits are Green, turning bright Red or dark Purple-Black when fully ripe. Ripe fruits are often covered with a Grey-White waxy bloom. 7-9 mm long & 4-5.5 mm in diameter. Internal pulp or juice is typically a deep Plum Purple colour & has a slightly acidic or sour taste. Contains 2-5 seeds, 4 mm long & Yellow to Pinkish. Exterior is glabrous (smooth & hairless) & may feature a minute, short Style at apex.
Root wood is smooth & bright Yellow due to high alkaloid content (Pharmacological properties of berberine). Roots are used as remedy for swollen & sore eyes, broken bones, wounds, gonorrhea, curative piles, unhealthy ulcers, acute conjunctive & in chronic opthalmia, also used as bitter tonic astringent, diaphoretic & febrifuge. Leaves are given in jaundice.
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🌼 Basal Eudicots • 8699, 359 Genera
¹☆ Order Ranunculales • 6548, 257, T³⁵
²☆ Order Proteales • 2017, 85
³☆ Order Trochodendrales • 2, 10
⁴☆ Order Buxales • 132, 7
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¹☆ Order Ranunculales • 6548, 257, T³⁵
•¹ Family Berberidaceae • 781, 21, T⁹ - Barberry
•² Family Circaeasteraceae • 2, 2
•³ Family Eupteleaceae • 2, 1
•⁴ Family Lardizabalaceae • 43, 9 - Lardizabala
•⁵ Family Menispermaceae • 554, 102, T⁹ - Moonseed
•⁶ Family Papaveraceae • 1078, 47, T¹¹ - Poppy
•⁷ Family Ranunculaceae • 4088, 69, T⁷ - Crowfoot, Buttercup
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•¹ Family Berberidaceae • 779, 21, T⁹ - Barberry
◇¹ Subfamily Berberidoideae • 661, 5, T²
◇² Subfamily Nandinoideae • 18, 4, T²
◇³ Subfamily Podophylloideae • 100, 10, T⁵
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◇¹ Subfamily Berberidoideae • 661, 5, T²
■¹ Tribe Berberideae • 660, 4
■² Tribe Ranzanieae • 1, 1
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■¹ Tribe Berberideae • 660, 4
▪︎ Genus Alloberberis • 10
Berberis • 572 🌼
Mahonia • 77
Moranothamnus • 1
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■² Tribe Ranzanieae • 1, 1
▪︎ Genus Ranzania • 1
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◇² Subfamily Nandinoideae • 18, 4, T²
■¹ Tribe Leonticeae • 17, 3
■² Tribe Nandineae • 1, 1
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■¹ Tribe Leonticeae • 17, 3
▪︎ Genus Caulophyllum • 3
Gymnospermium • 12
Leontice • 2
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■² Tribe Nandineae • 1, 1
▪︎ Genus Nandina • 1 - Sacred Bamboo
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◇³ Subfamily Podophylloideae • 100, 10, T⁵
■¹ Tribe Achlydeae • 3, 1
■² Tribe Bongardieae • 2, 1
■³ Tribe Epimedieae • 77, 2
■⁴ Tribe Jeffersonieae • 2, 2
■⁵ Tribe Podophylleae • 16, 4
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■¹ Tribe Achlydeae • 3, 1
▪︎ Genus Achlys • 3
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■² Tribe Bongardieae • 2, 1
▪︎ Genus Bongardia • 2
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■³ Tribe Epimedieae • 77, 2
▪︎ Genus Epimedium • 74
Vancouveria • 3 - Inside-out Flower
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■⁴ Tribe Jeffersonieae • 2, 2
▪︎ Genus Jeffersonia • 1 - Twinleaf
Plagiorhegma • 1
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■⁵ Tribe Podophylleae • 16, 4
▪︎ Genus Diphylleia • 3
Dysosma • 11
Podophyllum • 1 - Mayapple
Sinopodophyllum • 1
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