Page:Indian Medicinal Plants (Text Part 1).djvu/283

Rh

Vern. : — Jangli-badám (H. and M.) ; Jungli-badám, pún (Bomb.) ; Kuo-mhad, virhoi (Goa) ; Goldaru, nágalkuda (M) ; Pinári, kuddurai-pudduki, kudra-plukku, pinari-marum (Tam.) ; Gurapu-badam (Tel) ; Bhatala penari (Kan.)

Habitat : — Western and Southern India, Burma, Ceylon.

A large deciduous tree. Bark thin, white. Wood grey, spongy, soft. Branches whorled, horizontal. Leaves digitate, crowded at the ends of branches. Leaflets 7-9, elliptic lanceolate, about 6 by 2in., pubescent when young, adult glabrous beneath. Petioles 3in. Stipules ensiform, caducous. Panicles erect, numerous-flowered, spreading (formed immediately under the leaves of the present year, Roxb.), branches glabrous, ultimate pedicels shorter than the flower, jointed in the middle. Bracteoles minute. Flowers polygamous, red, yellow or dull purple. Calyx deeply 5-parted, ½-¾ in. diam., dull orange coloured, campanulate ; lobes oblong-lanceolate, spreading, villous within, much longer than the tube. Anthers 12-15. Carpels 5 downy ; style curved. Follicles as large as the fist, woody, scarlet, oblong, boat-shaped, shortly beaked, villous inside, nearly glabrous outside. Seeds black, 10-15, in each follicle. Cotyledons thick, fleshy ; albumen 0.

Flowers dull orange. Smelling most offensively, with the odour of carrion. The great pendulous bright red follicles gaping open and showing the black seeds which are very striking objects (Trimen). The seeds are eaten roasted.

Parts used : — The leaves, seeds and follicles.

Uses : — The leaves are considered as repellent and aperient. Loureiro informs us that the seeds are oily, and when swallowed incautiously they bring on nausea and vertigo. Horsfield adds that the capsule is mucilaginous and astringent. (Ainslie.)

Vern. : — Gúlú, kúlú, gúlar, buli (H.) ; Odla (Ass.) ; Pándrúka, kándol, karái sárdol, sárdora (Bomb.) ; Makchúnd ; Gur-