Page:Indian Medicinal Plants (Text Part 1).djvu/834

754 The following physical and chemical characters were obtained of the fat : Specific gravity at 100°, 0.9129 ; acid value, 45.5 ; saponification value, 213.9 ; Reichert-Meissl value, 10.6 ; titration number of insoluble volatile acids, 1/10 KOH 0.68 ; iodine value, 66.5 ; unsaponifiable matter, 1.56. Butyro-refractometer at 25° C, Degrees 73.5; at 40°, 67. Fatty acids: per cent. 89.4; melting point, 35° ; iodine value, 68.11 ; neutralisation value, 202.06. Mean molecular weight, 277.6. (A. K. Menon.)

Syn. : — M. indica, A. Do.

Sans. : — Rájádani.

Vern. : — Khirni (H.) ; Khirkhejur (B.) ; Ranjana, ráini (M.) Rájan ; Kherni (Bomb.) ; Palla (Tam.).

Habitat: — Deccan Peninsula, extending North to Guzerat, Banda and the Circars.

A large or small, evergreen tree, sometimes shrub only, often gregarious. Trunk erect, the branches forming a large shady head. Bark grey, smooth, when young, often studded with branchlets and clusters of leaves, which degenerate into hard, conical, thorn-like protuberances. Wood red, very hard, close and even-grained ; in Ceylon, dark, vinous-red, purplish-black (Brown), (Gamble). Leaves wholly glabrous, shining, generally crowded at the ends of branchlets, ovate-oblong, obtuse, emarginate, 2-4in. long, l½-2in. broad, base cuneate or rhomboid, coriaceous, nerves obscure. Petiole ¼-¾in., pedicels 2-5 together, nearly glabrous, ¼-⅓in., clusters sub-terminal and along the branches, often dense. Flowers ¼in. across, white or pale-yellow. Calyx-lobes 6, 1/6-1/5in., elliptic, subacute, obscurely tomentose, or nearly glabrous. Corolla ¼in. long. Stamens 6-8, anthers acute, as long as the filaments. Sumi nodes 6-8, serrate or lobed, glabrous, frequently bifid. Ovary 1 2-celled, hairy. Berry ½in. long., ¼in. broad. 1-sometimes, 2- seeded ; yellow when ripe, edible, rather sticky. Seeds yield an oil, says Gamble.

Uses: — The bark is used medicinally and is exactly similar to that of M. elengi. " The bark is much sought after for medicinal purposes and trees are often, greatly injured thereby." (Duthie).