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Rh 48. Cissampelos Pareira, Linn, 103.

Sansk.:—Laghu Patha; Ambashtha, Brihattikta (very pungent), Prachinambastika (Eastern Ambastika), Rasa (juicy), Varatikta (very pungent), Papanelil (creeper of sin), Sreysi (auspicious), Vridhakarnika (long-eared).

Vern.:—Kardhiyun-bang (Poreb) Akanadi; dakb, nirbisi, pari harjeuri (H.); Akanadi, nemuka (B.; Tejo mulla (Santal); Batulpoti (Nepal); Katori, tikri, parbik, pataki, bat bel, Zakhmi baiyat, batindu path (leaves) pilijari, pilajur (root) <Pb.); Nirbisi (root) (Dek.); Venivel (Guj and Bomb.); Parayel (Goa); Po-mushtie, pun-musbtie; Pahadvel, pabadmul (Bomb.); Vata tirupie (Tarn.); Pata (Tel.). Padavali (Kan.). (Pari kuman)Pabre (Dun). Diya-mitta (Sinhalese).

Habitat:—Tropical and sub-tropical India, from Sindh and the Panjab to Ceylon, up to 4,000 ft. In India ascending up to 6,000 ft. Cosmopolitan, common in the valleys of Simla and Dun.

A climbing, softly pubescent shrub. A lofty climber (Hk. and Th.), with herbaceous or slender woody branches, on a very short stout stem. Trimen says it is a woody twiner, usually of small size, with straggling branches, long shoots pubescent or tomentose. Wood brown, divided by very broad medullary rays and regular concentric bands of similar texture into small rectangular divisions, each with two to eight small to very large pores. The stem yields strong fibres, which are made into ropes. Leaves orbicular or broadly ovate, 1-4 in. across, peltate or cordate, obtuse and mucronate, rarely acute; base sometimes truncate. Petiole equalling the leaf, or longer. Flowers greenish-yellow, small. Male-flowers:—on stalked branched cymes, clustered in leaf-axils, or borne on long axillary raceme-like shoots, each cyme in the axil of a small leaf-like bract. Sepals 4, hairy, ovate, spreading. Petals united into a shallow 4-lobed cup. Stamens 4, filaments united into a very short column, top dilated, peltate; anthers sessile round the margin. Female flowers:—clustered in axils of orbicular bracts crowded on long solitary racemes. Sepal one, pubescent, broadly ovate. Petal one, opposite the sepal, similar, but smaller and