Page:Indian Medicinal Plants (Text Part 1).djvu/261

Rh Use : — In Ceylon it is valued as a febrifuge (Duthie's Flora Upper Gangetic Plain, Vol. I, p. 89).

Sans.: — Mâchikâ, Phalâmla, Rajjuda-Ambashtâ, Ambâlikâ. Náli ; garmikura.

Vern. : — San. (H.) ; Mesta-pat (B.) ; Ambádi (Dec.) ; Palungu (Tam.) ; Ghongu-kuru. (Tel.); Dare kudrum (Santal.) ; kanuriya (Orissa) ; kudrum (Behar) ; Sajjádo (Sind). ; Pimdrike gida, holada (Kan.).

(Porebunder and Guj.) Bhindi Ambôi ; (Marâthi) Ambâdi ; (Hindi) Pâtsan Arubârî. (J. Indraji.)

Habitat:— Generally cultivated; apparently wild east of the Northern Ghauts.

An annual or perennial herb. Stem glabrous, prickly. Lower leaves entire, cordate, upper deeply palmately-lobed, lobes narrow serrate ; mid-nerve glandular beneath. Petiole prickly, lower much larger than the blade. Stipules linear, pointed. Peduncles very short, axillary. Bracteoles 7-10, linear, shorter than the Calyx. Sepals bristly, lanceolate, connate below the middle, with a gland at the back of each. Corolla large, spreading, yellow with a crimson centre. Capsule globose, pointed bristly. Seeds nearly glabrous. All parts agreeably acid.

Parts used : — The seeds, leaves and juice.

Use: — The seeds are used as an external application to pains and bruises, and are said to be aphrodisiac and fattening.

One tolâ of the juice of the flowers, with sugar and black pepper is a popular remedy for biliousness with acidity (Dymock). The leaves are purgative.

Vern. :— Lal-ambádi, Patwâ (H. Bomb.); Mesta, (B); Lál- ambádi (Sind.); Sivappu-kashuruk-kai (Tam.) ; Erra-gom-kaya (Tel); Polechi (Mal); Arak kudrumi, togat arak. (Santal.); Pulachakin, pundibija (Kan.).