Page:Indian Medicinal Plants (Text Part 1).djvu/652

572 Habitat : — Garhwal and Kumaon ; Sikkim ; Deccan Peninsula, especially the Western side, common ; Burma.

A shrub or tree, 20ft, high ; glabrous. Leaves 4-8 by l-2in. broad elliptic, little acuminate, rounded or acute at the base ; petiole ¼in. Flowers numerous, green, with a disagreeable odour, clustered in the axils of the leaves. Pedicels short, about ¼in., jointed above the base, pubescent below the articulation. Calyx lobes 5, sometimes pubescent. Petals none. Stamens 8, alternating with scale-like staminodes. Fruit ¾in., oblong- ellipsoid, 3-valved, glabrous, shining, 12 seeded.

This species is distinguished from C. esculenta by its less entire, less thick, leaves, and the Calyx pubescent at its base.

Use : — The fruit is used for poisoning fish (Duthie).

Vern. :— Kunda-jungura (Tel.) ; Kodnapragara (Tel.) ; Jiru kaneli (Mal.) ; Mori, bokra (Bomb.).

Habitat: '— Western coast from the Concan southwards, and Hills of the Western Ghats. Common in the moist and dry regions and heights of Ceylon.

A shrub or tree, with slender branchlets, bark yellowish- white, smooth. Young parts glabrous. Wood moderately hard, evengrained. Leaves 2-5in., from narrow lanceolate to oval, tapering to base, shortly acuminate obtuse or sub-acute, entire or faintly serrate in upper part, perfectly glabrous, rather thick, petiole short, stipules persistent. Petals greenish, stout, longer than Calyx and articulated at base, which is surrounded by numerous very small bracts, few or many, on a raised boss, in axils of past and present leaves. Calyx-segments ovate, obtuse, persistent ; stamens 6 or usually 8 ; staminodes as long as filaments, oblong, ciliate or hairy. Fruit broadly ovoid or ellipsoid, ½-¾in. long, apiculate, glabrous or very slightly pubescent, edible, orange-yellow, dehiscing by 3 (or 2), thick valves. Seeds several, almost entirely covered by the fleshy lacerate scarlet aril (Trimen).

Use: — The roots are purgative, and as such used by the hill people (Roxb).