Table 3.

Comparative botanical analysis of the stems of four Berberis species.

Characters	Berberis aristata	Berberis asiatica	Berberis chitria	Berberis lycium
Macroscopic	Outer surface of bark, creamish brown, inner surface yellowish brown, knotty, thin, and brittle. Cut surface light yellow. Fracture hard and bitter in taste	Outer surface of bark grayish brown and friable, fine longitudinal ridges and small warts, inner surface dark brown. Fine longitudinal ridges and small warts below the bark surface leaving dark brown. Cut surface yellowish cream. Fracture very hard and very bitter in taste	Outer surface light brown, split longitudinally, warts comparatively large in size. Whole bark pealed off leaving coffee brown almost smooth inner surface. Cut surface light yellow. Fracture hard and bitter in taste	Outer surface grayish brown with shining. Bark easily detachable, thin, brittle, and twisted. Cut surface canary yellow. Fracture hard and bitter in taste
Cork cells	Brown, 15–25 layered	Brown, 08–10 layered	Dark brown, 8–15 layered	Dark brown, 7–19 layered
Cork Cambium	2 or 3 layered	1 or 2 layered	1 or 2 layered	2 or 3 layered
Cortical zone	20–25 layered, outer 4 to 6 layers compressed, devoid of stone cells	16–18 layered	20–24 layered	20–26 layered
Sclereids	Solitary or in group of 2 to 10	Sometimes solitary but in group of 2 to 4, comparatively more than other three species	Solitary	Scattered or sometimes in linear groups
Pericyclic fibres	Mostly solitary but sometimes in groups of 2 to 10	Interrupted with stone cells	Frequently present comparatively lesser than B. aristata and B. asiatica	Frequently present comparatively lesser than other three species.
Vessels	In group of 2 to 3 or solitary	Solitary or in group of 2 to 4	Mostly in group of 2 to 3 or solitary	Solitary or in group of 3 or 4
Medullary Rays	2 to 4 cells broad	2 to 5 cells broad	2 to 4 cells broad	1 to 3 cells broad
Pith	Present	Present	Present	Present