Berberidaceae FAMILY

Berberis aggregata

Edibility

3/5

Medicinal

2/5

Safety & Hazards

All parts of the plant contain the alkaloid berberine - this is most concentrated in the roots, stems and inner bark, and least concentrated in the fruits. In small quantities berberine has a range of effective medicinal applications but, in excess, can cause vomiting, lowered blood pressure, reduced heart rate, lethargy, and other ill-effects. The fruit of most, if not all, members of this genus are more or less edible and can be eaten in quantity since the levels of berberine in the fruit are very low.

Botanical Description

Berberis aggregata is a spiny, deciduous to semi-evergreen shrub, much branched at the base; it can grow 2 - 3 metres tall[ 266 Title Flora of China Publication Author Website http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/china/ Publisher Missouri Botanical Garden Press; St. Louis. Year 1994 ISBN Description An excellent, comprehensive resource in 25 volumes. In addition to the botanical information the flora also gives basic information on habitat and some uses. An on-line version is also available. ]. The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food and a medicine. It is sometimes grown as an ornamental in gardens.

Habitat & Origin

Origintemperate

Native RangeE. Asia - western China.

HabitatThickets and streamsides; at elevations up to 2,500 metres in Kansu and W. Szechwan[ 67 Title Berberis and Mahonia. Publication Author Ahrendt. Publisher Journal of the Linnean Society, 57 Year 1961 ISBN - Description Not for the casual reader, it lists all the known species in these two genera together with botanic descriptions and other relevant details for the botanist. , 109 Title Plantae Wilsonae. Vol 1 - 3 Publication Author Wilson. E. H. Website http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org Publisher University Press; Cambridge. Year 1911 - 1917 ISBN Description Details of the palnts collected by the plant collector E. H. Wilson on his travels in China. Gives some habitats. Not for the casual reader. It can be downloaded from the internet. ]. Thickets, forests, roadsides and flood lands; at elevations from 1,000 - 3,500 metres[ 266 Title Flora of China Publication Author Website http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/china/ Publisher Missouri Botanical Garden Press; St. Louis. Year 1994 ISBN Description An excellent, comprehensive resource in 25 volumes. In addition to the botanical information the flora also gives basic information on habitat and some uses. An on-line version is also available. ].