Page:Indian Medicinal Plants (Text Part 1).djvu/315

Rh Uses : — This herb, though now almost entirely neglected, was formerly much used in European medicine. It has a disagreeable, bitterish, astringent taste, and imparts its virtues to boiling water. It was formerly employed internally in intermittent fever, consumption, nephritic complaints, jaundice, and as a gargle in affections of the throat, and externally as a resolvent to swollen breasts and other tumours. (U. S. Dispensatory.)

It possesses slightly astringent qualities, and, according to the doctrine of signatures, Sir John Hill informs us that its power to arrest bleeding is indicated by the beautiful red hue assumed by the fading leaves. In Wales it is still administered in medicine, and our never-failing friend Gerarde extols it as an excellent " Stauncher of blood." (Sowerby's English Botany).

Vern :-Bhând(H.)

Habitat:— Hills of the Punjab, temperate and Sub-tropical Himalaya, from Kashmir and the salt range to E. Nipal ; Behar, on the top of Parusnatha.

A small straggling annual, hoary-pubescent or hairy and glandular, excessively-branched, prostrate, slender shrub. Leaves orbicular i-2in. diam., rose-coloured, with a dark purple eye. Sepals rigid after flowering, wrinkled from the pressure against the carpels. Petals large broadly obcordate, much larger than the acuminate sepals. Fruit erect, ⅔-in., long. Carpels corrugated, small, separating from the axis and beak, which latter eventually coils up elastically. Seeds smooth, shining, pale.

Use : — The plant possesses diuretic and astringent properties. (Watt.)

Sans : — Amlalonika ; Changeri.

Vern:— Chalmori ; Amrul-sák ; Chuka-tripati (B. and H.) ; Surchi ; Khatta mitha (Pb.); Paliákiri ; Puli— yarai (Tam); Palla- chinta (Tel) ; Nalkarda Ambuti ; Bhui-sarpati (Bomb.) ; Taudi