Page:Indian Medicinal Plants (Text Part 1).djvu/349

Rh An arboreous, rarely shrubby, small, slender tree ; young shoots glabrous, greenish-white. Leaves glabrous, 3-6in., elliptic or ovate, acuminate ; petioles naked or winged ; wings often obovate, as large as the blade or nearly so. Flowers pure white, scented more or less ; bisexual. Stamens 15-30. Fruit globose, often depressed, 2in. diam., generally oblate, not mammillate.

Of the more commonly cultivated forms are : —

Var. I. ''Aurantium proper. C. Aurantium, Linn, h.f.b.i, i. 515 ; Roxb. 590''. The Sweet Orange. Petiole naked or winged, pulp sweet, rind yellow, rarely red in India.

Sans. : — Nágaranga.

Vern. : — Nárangi ; Santará (H.); Kamalá nebu ; nárangi (B.); Suntala (Uriya) ; Nárangi (Guz. and Mar) ; Kichilli ; chechu ; collungie pullam (Tam.); Ganjanimma ; naranga pandu (Tel.); Kithaboippe (Kan.); Máhura-naranna (Mal.)

Habitat : — Cultivated in India.

Parts used : — The rind and flowers.

Uses : — The dried outer portion of the rind of the fruit possesses stomachic and tonic properties. It is useful in atonic dyspepsia, and general debility. * * The water distilled from orange flowers is employed, in one or two fluid ounces, as an antispasmodic and sedative in nervous and hysterical cases (Ph. Ind.)

The Mahomedan writers describe the rind and flowers as hot and dry, the pulp cold and dry, and recommend the fruit in colds and coughs, when febrile symptoms are present. The juice is valuable in bilious affections, and stops bilious diarrhœa. * * The peel is useful for checking vomiting, and the prevention of intestinal worms. Orange poultice is recommended in some skin affections, such as psoariasis, &c. Oranges are considered to be alexipharmic and disinfectant ; orange- water stimulating and refreshing. The essence is extracted by oil from the rind and flowers, and is used as a stimulating liniment (DYMOCK.)