Page:Indian Medicinal Plants (Text Part 1).djvu/258

178 Habitat : — Generally distributed over the hotter parts of India and is a weed in waste open ground in Ceylon,

A perennial herb. Stem 2-4 ft, much branched, finely stellate-hairy. Leaves very variable, 1½-3 in., rotundate, usually deeply palmately cut into 5 lobes, which are again lobed or pinnatifid, serrate, stellately hairy on both sides. Flowers bright pink, on short stout, hairy pedicels, axillary, solitary. Sepals 5, connate below into cap-shaped Calyx. Petals 5, connate and united to tube of stamens. Stamens monadelphous, anthers nearly sessile or 5-celled. Bracts a little shorter than the Calyx. Ovary 5-celled, with one ovule in each. Styles 10. Ripe carpels rounded on back, densely stellate-hairy, set with stiff long spines, with deflexed prongs at the extremeties (Tri- men), An oval glandular pore is situated at base of midrib, beneath, in both U. lobata and U. sinuata.

Use ; — In Chutia Nagpur, the root is used as an external application for lumbago.

Syn. : — U. Speciosa, Wall.

Vern. : — Sikuar (Santal.).

Habitat : — North- West India, Upper Gangetic plain and the Western Peninsula.

Shrubby, stellate-hairy. Leaves roundish or somewhat lobed, shortly petioled, rough above, midrib glandular, at the base beneath ; lower 2-2½in. long, roundish, rarely lobed, cordate at the base, repand-serrate, upper lanceolate. Flowers racemose, in alternately leafless clusters. Bracteoles ¼-⅓ in., subcoriaceous, exceeding the membranous Calyx ; 5, subulate, connate below into a cup ; sepals united for half their length ; Corolla pink, twice the length of the bracteoles. Carpels smooth, unarmed. Seed ascending smooth.

Use : — The root and bark are believed by the Santals to be a cure for hydrophobia (Campbell).