Berberis chitria

Buch.-Ham. ex Lindl.

Chitra

Berberidaceae Edible: Fruit 87 iNaturalist observations

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Summary

An evergreen shrub growing 4 m tall by 3 m wide with year-round foliage and hermaphroditic flowers. Blooms June to July with seeds ripening September to October. Self-fertile and insect-pollinated. Tolerates light sandy, medium loamy, and heavy clay soils, including nutritionally poor conditions. Suitable for mildly acid to basic soil pH. Grows in semi-shade or full sun and prefers dry or moist soil.

Description

A shrub. It grows 2-4 m tall. It loses many leaves during the year. The leaves occur as 4 in a ring. There are teeth along the edge. The leaves are dull green above and pale yellow-green underneath. The flowers are yellow and in groups. The fruit are oblong and dark reddish-brown. They have several seeds.

Edible Uses

Edible Parts: Fruit Edible Uses: Condiment Fruit - raw or cooked. The roasted seeds are pickled.

Traditional Uses

The ripe fruit are eaten raw.

This uses section is brief — help expand it

Medicinal Uses

Antibacterial Cancer Dysentery Ophthalmic Stomachic The juice of the bark is used to treat peptic ulcers. It is also boiled then filtered and used as eyedrops to treat various eye inflammations. Berberine, universally present in rhizomes of Berberis species, has marked antibacterial effects. Since it is not appreciably absorbed by the body, it is used orally in the treatment of various enteric infections, especially bacterial dysentery. It should not be used with Glycyrrhiza species (Liquorice) because this nullifies the effects of the berberine. Berberine has also shown antitumour activity.

Distribution

It is a subtropical plant. It grows in forests in the Himalayas between 1,500-2,800 m above sea level.

Where It Grows

Asia, Himalayas, India, Nepal, Northeastern India,

Cultivation

Prefers a warm moist loamy soil and light shade but it is by no means fastidious, succeeding in thin, dry and shallow soils. Grows well in heavy clay soils. Hybridizes freely with other members of this genus. There is much confusion in the naming of this species, it is frequently confused with B. aristata and it lacks a valid name. The name given above is liable to be changed. Plants can be pruned back quite severely and resprouts well from the base.

Propagation

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame, when it should germinate in late winter or early spring. Seed from over-ripe fruit will take longer to germinate, whilst stored seed may require cold stratification and should be sown in a cold frame as early in the year as possible. The seedlings are subject to damping off, so should be kept well ventilated. When the seedlings are large enough to handle, prick them out into individual pots and grow them on in a cold frame. If growth is sufficient, it can be possible to plant them out into their permanent positions in the autumn, but generally it is best to leave them in the cold frame for the winter and plant them out in late spring or early summer of the following year. Cuttings of half-ripe wood, July/August in a frame. Cuttings of mature wood of the current season's growth, preferably with a heel, October/November in a frame.

Other Uses

Dye A yellow dye is obtained from the roots and stems. Special Uses

Synonyms

B. aristata. non D.C.

Also Known As

Chawa, Chetar, Chochoor, Chutrum, Kashakal

References (7)

Gautam, R. S., et al, 2020, Wild Edible Fruits of Nepal. Int. J. Appl. Sci. Biotechnol. Vol 8(3): 289-304
Masoodi, H. U. R. & Sundriyal, R. C., 2020, Richness of non-timber forest products in Himalayan communities—diversity, distribution, use pattern and conservation status. Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine 16:56 (As Berberis chitria Edward)
Negi, P. S. & Subramani, S. P., 2015, Wild Edible Plant Genetic Resources for Sustainable Food Security and Livelihood of Kinnaur District, Himachal Pradesh, India, International Journal of Conservation Science. 6 (4): 657-668
Tsering, J., et al, 2017, Ethnobotanical appraisal on wild edible plants used by the Monpa community of Arunchal Pradesh. Indian Journal of Traditional Knowledge. Vol 16(4), October 2017, pp 626-637
Upreti, K., et al, 2010, Diversity and Distribution of Wild Edible Fruit Plants of Uttarakhand. Bioversity Potentials of the Himalaya. p 161

Show all 7 references

? Sundriyal, M., et al, 2004, Dietary Use of Wild Plant Resources in the Sikkim Himalaya, India. Economic Botany 58(4) pp 626-638 (As Berberis chitoia DC.)
Wild edible plants of Himachal Pradesh (As Berberis chitria Edward)