Page:Indian Medicinal Plants (Text Part 1).djvu/352

272 of insects is used as a remedy for coughs. Ph. J. 27th December, 1884.

Sans, : — Kapitha, kapi-priya.

Vern. : — Kaith-bilin, kat-bel 3 kavitha (H); Kath-bel (B.); Kainta, kouch-bel (Santal.); Koeta (Uriya) ; Katori, kavatha (Sind.); Kawat, kavith (Mar.) ; Kotha, kavit (Guz.) ; Vilâm, vallanga, velâ, kavit, kaist (Tam.); Velagá, elaka, yellanga, kapitr (Tel,); Bilwar, byala da nannu, belada, bel (Kan.); Vilam (Mal.) ; Diwal (Sinhalese),; Vila, villâte, Meladik-kuruntu (Tamil) Ceylon.

Habitat : — Throughout India in dry situations Java and Ceylon, very common in the dry region.

A large glabrous, deciduous tree, armed with strong straight axillary thorns. Bark dark or nearly black. Wood yellowish or greenish-white, hard : pores small or moderate-sized, ringed, subdivided or in small patches, often filled with resin. Medullary rays short, white, prominent, moderately broad. Annual rings marked by a white line, and the fewer pores of the autumn wood (Gamble). The tree yields a gum similar to gum arabic. Leaves alternate, imparipinnate ; leaflets opposite 1-4 pair, cuneate or obovate, crenate at tip ; common petiole often narrow winged. Flowers dull red, generally unisexual, in lax panicles, male and bisexual flowers frequently on the same inflorescence. Stamens 10-12, filaments short, subulate, from a broad villous base. Fruit globose, gray, covered with brownish fluff, in small chaff-like pieces, rough, 2-3in. diam. (often more especially in the Ceylon fruit upto 4 in. K. R. K.), rind hard, woody. Seeds numerous, oblong, embedded in fleshy edible acid, aromatic pulp. Flowers (from February to April), pale green, stained with red purple. Anthers dark red.

Parts used : — The fruit, gum, leaves, bark and pulp.

Uses : — The fruit is aromatic and used as a stomachic and stimulant in diseases of children. The gum, resembling gum-arabic, acts as a demulcent in bowel affections. " The unripe