The three needles are the root bark or stem bark of plants in the Berberidaceae family, such as Berberis thunbergii, Berberis koreana, and Mahonia japonica. The three needles can be used internally or externally. So what are the differences between the morphology of the three needles and the morphology of the small three needles?
【Morphological Characteristics of Small Three Needles】
A semi-evergreen shrub, about 1 meter tall. Branches are often curved, with old branches being brownish-gray and young branches being dark red with ridges and scattered black wart-like spots. Stem thorns are slender and weak, trifurcated, 1-2 centimeters long, pale yellow or pale reddish-purple, sometimes solitary or absent.
Leaves are leathery, inverted ovoid or inverted ovoid spoon-shaped or inverted lanceolate, 6-25 millimeters long, 2-6 millimeters wide, with a blunt or almost acute apex, sometimes short-pointed, and a wedge-shaped base. The upper surface is dark grayish-green with distinct veins, while the back is gray, often covered with white powder, with raised veins and entire margins or occasionally 1-2 fine toothed margins; almost stalkless. Flowers are clustered in groups of 4-7.
Flower stalks are 3-7 millimeters long, brownish-brown; flowers are golden yellow; small bracts are ovoid; sepals are arranged in two whorls, with outer sepals being ovoid, 3-4 millimeters long and 2-3 millimeters wide, and inner sepals being inverted ovoid or inverted ovoid, 5-5.5 millimeters long and 3.5-4 millimeters wide; petals are inverted ovoid, about 4 millimeters long and 2 millimeters wide, with a slightly acute apex and a split tip; stamens are about 3 millimeters long, with a blunt tip at the top of the anther; pistils have 3-5 ovules.
The fruit is nearly spherical, 6-7 millimeters long and 4-5 millimeters in diameter, pink, with an obvious persistent style at the apex and a slightly powdery surface. The flowering period is from June to September, and the fruiting period is from January to February of the following year.
【Morphological Characteristics of Three Needles】
Evergreen shrub, can grow up to 2 meters tall. The stem is cylindrical, slightly ridged, smooth and hairless, pale red when young; flowers are clustered in groups of 4-8, yellow, with a diameter of about 1 centimeter.
The petals are 6, inverted ovoid with a concave apex and nectar glands at the base; stamens are 6, opposite the petals, with short filaments; the ovary has 2-3 ovules, without a style, and the stigma is shield-shaped.
The fruit is ovoid, 6-7 millimeters long, dark green or blue-black, with a slight powdery surface; seeds are 2-3 in number.
