Page:Indian Medicinal Plants (Text Part 1).djvu/824

744 A shrub or small tree, semi-scan dent, by means of its numerous horizontal branch lets. Bark grey, with horizontal cracks and numerous leaticels ; young parts glabrous. Leaves 2-4in., oval or broadly oval, acute or rounded at base, somewhat acuminate, subacute or obtuse, entire, rather undulate, thin, glabrous, pale and often reddish beneath, veins purple, the lateral ones conspicuous. Petiole ½-¾in. ; channelled above, papillose flowers 5 — merous, small, pale yellowish green, on sharp divaricate pedicels, in small axillary and terminal racemes or panicles, shorter than the leaves. Bracts minute. Calyx puberulous, segments lanceolate, acute. Corolla cut nearly to the base, lobes 5-recurved, puberulous on both sides. Berry about 1/6in., nearly globose, apiculate, red, pulp scanty.

Kanjilal, says " Flowers dioecious ; seed usually solitary, globose, with a hollowed base."

Uses : — The fruit is said to adulterate black pepper. It is given as an anthelmintic, and internally for piles.

The young leaves, in combination with ginger, are used as gargle in cases of sore-throat ; that the dried bark of the root is a reputed remedy for toothache, and that the berries, mixed with butter, are used as an ointment, which is applied to the forehead as a specific for pleuritis (Treasury of Botany).

Sometimes used as an antispasmodic and carminative (Surgeon-Major McCanna, in Watt's Dictionary).

Habitat : — A shrub, frequent in Aasam, Cachar to Mallaca,

A small, evergreen tree, attaining 25ft. Branches round, becoming flattened, only close under the panicle. Branchlets and underside of leaves covered with often shining scales. Leaves lanceolate-oblong, acute at both ends, 9 by 2½in., parallel-sided, glabrous, coriaceous ; base cuneate, petiole f-in., primary nerves nearly at right angles to the midrib. Panicles glabrous or obscurely rusty, 6-1 2in., divided 2 or 3 times, branches flat-