Berberis Lycium (Kashmal)
Berberis lyceum – Kashmal (Click to enlarge)
Berberis Lycium – Kashmal (cleck to enlarge)
| Local name | Masholi / Raswanti/ Kashmal |
| Botanical name | Berberis lyceum or Indian lyceum |
| Family | Berberidaceae |
| Description and uses | It is a shrub of 2-4m height, leaves ovate or elliptic, sub sessile. Flowers are yellow in colour and fruits white when young, blue when ripe and found at an altitude of 1500-3000m. The best season for flowering and fruiting is in the month of May. In Ayurveda Berberis lycium found a wide range of applications. In Charka Samhitta it is classified as lekhaniya (reducing obesity and scarifying), arsaghna (curative of piles and haemorrhoids) and kandughna (curative of pruritus) whereas in Sushruta Samhitta it is used for quick healing of wounds, for the treatment of dysentery, indigestion and uterine and vaginal disorders (Dev et al., 2006). |