Sc. Obs. [a. OF. berbère ‘barberry,’ in med.L. berberis, which is also used as the botanical name of the genus.] = BARBERRY.

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  From Berberis (stem berberid-) also; Berberal a. Bot., of or related to the Barberry, or genus Berberis; applied by Lindley to the ‘alliance’ including the N.O. Berberidaceæ. Berberid, any member of the natural order to which the barberry belongs. Berberidaceous, belonging to the N.O. Berberidaceæ, of which the barberry is the type. Berberideous, belonging to the tribe Berberideæ, which includes the barberry. Berberia, Berberine, a yellow bitter principle, obtained from the barberry and other plants.

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c. 1440.  Gaw. & Gologr. (Jam.). Of box and of berber, bigged ful bene.

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1878.  Miss Braddon, Open Verdict, II. vii. 97. The shining leaves of bay and berberis, and holly and laurel brightened the long slip of garden.

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1866.  Treas. Bot., 136. Lindley includes the order in his Berberal Alliance.

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1847.  Lindley, Veg. Kingd. (ed. 2), 421. Anonads are connected with Berberids through Bocagea.

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1852.  Th. Ross, Humboldt’s Trav., II. xviii. 171. It was perhaps a tree of the berberideous family.

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1876.  Harley, Man. Med., 725. Berberia is an alkaloid found abundantly in the common barberry. Ibid., 778. Contains a considerable amount of berberine.

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1880.  Syd. Soc. Lex., Berberin is … given as a bitter tonic in dyspepsia.

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