Page:Indian Medicinal Plants (Text Part 2).djvu/128

878 powder dried 100 o C., yielded 2*68 per cent, of extractive to absolute alcohol of which 1.73 per cent, was soluble in ether. The resins contained in the alcoholic extract had the properties of Jalap resins as regards colour,, reactions, &c, ; but we are unable to say whether they possess any purgative action. Sugar, reducing alkaline copper solution on boiling, was present to the extent of 10.909 per cent, calculated on the anhydrous tubers. The bulk of the tuber consists of starch, Supposing the resins to be purgative ; they are present in so small a proportion that no ordinary dose of the root would have any aperient action. (Pharmacographia Indica, Vol. II p. 536)

Syn. : — Convolvulus Batatas, Linn. Roxb. 162.

Vern. :— -Shakarkand ; Rângâ âlu (B.) ; Shakarkand (H. and Pers.) ; Vulli-kiz-hangu (Tam.) ; Ratâlu, Shakar-kand (Bomb.) ; Sakaria (Guz-) ; Chelagada (Tel.) Genasu (Kan.).

Habitat : — Native of America, cutivated in India.

Prostrate annual herbs, glabrous or sparingly hairy. Tubers red, white or rarely yellow. Leaves ovate-cordate, many-fid. Acute angular, more or less lobed, Peduncles long. Flower 2in. and upwards, purple. Sepals elliptic, shortly acute, glabrous. Corolla widely tubular, funnel-shaped. Stamens included. Ovary 4-celled. Seeds glabrous. Rarely allowed to grow to the stage of fruiting or even flowering. The edible mealy tubers are gathered for the market long before that.

There are two forms, one with red and the other with tubers !

Use: --The roots of this plant have a laxative property. (Watt).

It contains more dry starchy and sugary matter than the ordinary potato, but less nitrogenous substance possessing about 10 to 20 per cent, of sugar and about 16.05 per cent, of starch. It is an excellent source of alcohol, 100 kilos of tubers yielding about 12 to 13 litres of absolute alcohol.

Vern :— Languli-latâ (B.) ; Mekamu aduga (Tel.).

Habitat : — Throughout India.

Stems twining, patently hirsute. Leaves l-5in. diam., hirsute on both surfaces, deeply 5-9-lobed. Lobes elliptic, acuminate, narrowed at the base ; petiole l-3in. Peduncles ½-3in. Heads