Page:Indian Medicinal Plants (Text Part 1).djvu/542

462 of bromine, 2 of which are removed by digesting it with silver nitrate. The compound probably has the formula— C11H12N2O Br2, 2 HBr.

As both ulexine and sophorine are now proved to be identical with cytisine, this alkaloid has been shown to be present in the various species of cytisus ; in ulexeuro-paens, and in sophora lomentosa (By P. C. Plugge, Archiv. Pharm. 1894, pp. 444-460, J. Oh. S. 1895 A. I, 159.

Syn. : — Guilandina Bonducella, Linn.

Sans. : — Kuberâkshi, pûtikaranga, latâkaranja.

Vern. : Katkaranj, katkaranga, katkalejâ, karanju, karan-javâ, katkalijâ, katkuliji-sâgar-ghôta (H.) ; Nâtâ, nâtâ-karanja, natû-koranja (B.) ; Bagini (Santal.) ; Zang, kup (Lepcha) ; Kat-karonja (Oudh) ; Karaunj (Kumaon) ; Kilgach, katkarânja (Ajmere); Gataran (Jabalpur) ; Kirbut (Sind.) ; Kâkâchiâ, gâjga, kachki (Guz.); Sagaragota (Cutch) ; Sâgurghota, gaja (Bom.) ; Sâgaragotâ, gajagâ, rohedo (Mar.); Gajâ, gutchka, gudgega (Duk.) ; Gajkai, gajagakagi, gajega (Kan.); Kazhar-shikkây kalichi, kali-balli sbikkay, gecbchakkay (Tam.) ; Gacb-cbakaza, gachclia (Tel.) ; Kazbanchikkurn, kinanchik-kuru (Mal.).

Habitat : — From the Himalayas, throughout India.

A scandent, prickly shrub. Bark light-brown. Wood hard. Leaves over a foot long ; Pinnae 6-8 pair ; 3-8in. long ; stipules large, 2— fid ; rachis and its branches armed with recurved prickles. Leaflets 6-10 pair on each pinna, opposite 7-1 by 2/5-3/5in., oblong or elliptic, obtuse, mucronate, membranous, downy beneath, minutely petioluled. Racemes 6-12in. long, gradually denser towards the top ; pedicels 1/5-3/10 in. long, finely rusty tomentose. Petals ⅔-½in. long, oblaceolate, yellow, the smallest spotted with red. Pod 2-3 by l½-2in., coriaceous, dehiscent, thickly beset with sharp wiry prickles, 1/5-3/10in. long. Seeds 2-3, 7/10in. long, globose or ovoid, shining, lead-coloured, with numerous very fine horizontal cracks when dry (KANJILAL).

Uses : — In an official report, the Madras Committee for the proposed revision of the Indian Pharmacopoeia, remark that " the seeds are very useful and cheap and antiperiodic, antipyretic and tonic ; valuable in all ordinary cases of simple,