Berberis vulgaris - Native to the lower mountains of Western Asia, the barberry shrub is cultivated world wide. It is a deciduous shrub producing 20 to 30 scattered stems, each being approximately 3 meters in length and dropping at the ends to produce an arch effect. It is a food source to several bird species, especially in the winter when other foods are unavailable. Cattle, goats, and sheep also browse on the shrub. Birds and rodents are the primary agents for dispersing barberry seeds.
- - - - -
The Achaemenid Empire, or First Persian Empire, was centered in Iran and was founded by Cyrus the Great. The empire stretched from the Balkans to the Indus Valley and from Kyrgyzstan to Egypt. At the height of the Achaemenid Empire, its population exceeded 50 million people, estimated to being over 40% of the world’s total, the highest share of global population of any empire. The First Persian Empire reigned supreme from 550 to 330 BC, and fell to the invasion of Alexander the Great of Macedonia.
