Page:Indian Medicinal Plants (Text Part 1).djvu/831

Rh trees require but a little attention and watering during the first two or three years in the dry season, and being of so great use, we have here whole plantations of them on high and sandy grounds, where no other fruit tree will grow.

12. We may still add, that the owls, squirrels, lizards, country dogs and jackals, take a share in the flowers, but the report is that the latter, especially in the time of blossom, are apt to grow mad by too much feeding on them. (Roxburgh's Flora Indica pp. 410-411 Clarke's edition).

The kernels of B. latifolia yield to solvents 41 to 46 per cent, of a yellowish fat melting at 24°— 30°, and those of B. longifolia contain 54 per cent, or more. The acid values sometimes reach 70. The constants are : Specific gravity at 100°, 0.86 ; to 0.88 ; saponification value, 186—194 ; iodine value, 58 to 64 ; Reichert-Meissl value, 1*6 to 1*7. Fatty acids, 93*7 to 94*9 per cent., melting at 42° to 48° ; unsaponifiable matter, 1.4 to 2.2 per cent. The oil consists of olein and palmitin and probably stearin.

Vern. :— Chiúra, chaiura, bhulel (Kumaun) ; Cheuli (Oudh); Phalwara (Hind.); Churi (Nepal) ; Yet, yelpote (Lepcha).

Eng. :— Indian Butter tree.

Habitat: — Sub-tropical Himalaya, from Kumaun to Bhotan.

A large deciduous tree, attaining 70ft. height, usually with a short trunk and rounded crown. Bractlets, petioles, under-side of leaves, stipules and pedicels, with fine silkly hairs. Bark ½in thick, dark-grey. Wood light brown, bard. Leaves 13 by 6in., or smaller, firm, crowded near ends of branches, obovate, or obovate-oblong, elliptic or oblong-elliptic, sub-obtuse, base rhomboid, glabrous when mature or flocculose beneath ; primary nerves 15-20 pairs. Petiole l-l¼in., stipules 1/5in., ovate-lanceolate, caducous. Pedicels l-2in., very many, crowded among the subterminal leaves. Flowers in dense clusters at the ends of branches, drooping, tomentose. Calyx coriaceous, segments 4 or 5, ⅓-½in. ovate, densely rusty tomentose inside. Corolla ¾in. long, creamcoloured, fleshy, sweet, early caducous ; lobes 8-10, spreading, short, erect. Stamens 30-40. says C. B. Clarke ; 24-26, says Brandis ; inserted at the mouth of the corolla tube ; filaments glabrous, as long as the anthers. Anthers