B.aristata (Berberidaceae), an important herbal drug of the Indian system of medicine, commonly known in vernacular as “Daruharidra”, is used as stomachic, astringent, antiperiodic, antipyretic, antidiabetic, in the treatment of jaundice and eye infections. Due to its excessive harvesting by Pharmaceutical/Ayurvedic industries, a near scarcity of this plant material made another species of Berberis viz. B.asiatica to take its place and Industries/Ayurvedic physicians started using it as “Daruharidra” in place of B.aristata as its substitute. Although chemical and pharmacological work on both these plants is on record, yet no concrete work regarding the pharmacognostical work on either of them has been reported so far. All the parts of plant Root, stem and leaf of these plants are used in Ayurveda. The present work deals with pharmacognostical investigation of root, stem and leaf of both the plant species to find out their salient diagnostic features with a view to identify them from each other/other substitutes/adulterants (if any).
