Page:Indian Medicinal Plants (Text Part 1).djvu/281

Rh closely placed, on long glabrous petioles, digitate ; leaflets 5-7, on short, winged stalks, 3-5 in., lanceolate, acute at both ends, finely cuspidate, entire or serrulate near tip, glabrous, paler beneath, stipules ½ in., linear-filiform, deciduous. Flowers cream-white, faintly scented ; 1½-2 in., in axillary clusters of 2-8, appearing with the young leaves at the ends of branches, drooping ; pedicels about 1 in., no bracteoles. Calyx ½ in., tubular-campanulate, with very shallow lobes, glabrous outside, lined with dense appressed hairs at the base within ; petals twice as long as Calyx, spreading, obovate-oblong, acute, densely tomentose outside, nearly glabrous within. Stamens a little longer than the petiole, erect. Ovary glabrous. Capsule 3½-4 in., surrounded at base by persistent Calyx, ovoid-fusiform, blunt, tardily dehiscent from base upwards by 5 septifragal membranous valves, 5-celled, cells densely lined with long white silky hair which is deciduous, so that the valves are ultimately glabrous and areolate within. Seeds over ¼ in., compressed- globose, quite glabrous, blackish, each surrounded by a copious crumpled mass of silky hair. Though each seed appears to have a separate investment of cotton, this is quite unconnected with the testa and really arises from the inner side of the wall of the capsule and from the central axis. It is ultimately separated from these, and is then a mere stuffing round the seeds. This silk-cotton is called Kapok in Malay. A bright red gum is afforded by the stem.

Uses : — The tree yields a gum, called Hatyan gond, which is astringent and used as a remedy for bowel complaints (Watt.)

The unripe fruits are regarded as demulcent and astringent.

The roots are also used medicinally, like those of Bombax Malabaricum (which see).

" The leaves are ground into a paste and administered in gonorrhœa" (Surgeon Thomas).

" The gum is also used in the incontinence of urine of children " (Surgeon-Major Ratton.)