Page:Indian Medicinal Plants (Text Part 2).djvu/13

Rh Habitat: — Tropical North- West Himalaya ; Terai of Oudh and Kumaun, Dee-can Peninsula, from Rajmahal southwards; also in the hot lower hills.

A large shrub, or scrubby tree, erect or climbing, says Brand is ; usually suberect, says Kanjilal. Branches smooth, grey ; branchlets pubescent. Leaves opposite, simple, entire, 4 by 2½in., shortly acuminate, widest near the base, subcordate, or the upper ovate or elliptic, young, hairy and often tomentose on both surfaces, nerves distinct beneath, lower divaricate. Petiole ½-¾in. Flowers white, fragrant, in lax terminal trichotomous compound cymes, usually 10-20 flowers, not dense ; bracts 1/5in. linear ; pedicels ¼in. ; Calyx-lobes 5-6, as long as or shortly longer than the tube ; Corolla-lobes ¾in., lanceolate acute, 10 or 12, as long as the tube. Berries one or two, ovoid, often oblique, ⅓-½in. long by ¼-⅓in. broad, unsymmetric ellipsoid, generally of one carpel, black when ripe.

Use : — The juice of the leaves is used, with pepper, garlic and other stimulants as an emetic, in obstruction of the bronchial tubes by viscid phlegm. Seven leaves will furnish a sufficient juice for a dose. For young children, the juice of half-a-leaf and of four leaves of Agasta (sesbania grandiflora) may be mixed with two grains of black pepper and 2 grains of dried borax and given in honey (Dymock).

The leaves are slightly bitter and astringent, and might be used as a tonic and stomachic. (S. Arjun).

The Santals give a preparation of the plant in certain menstrual complaints (Revd. A. Campbell).

Sans. : — Kânana mallikâ ; asphota ; vana malli.

Vern. : — Mwari ; ban-mallikâ (H.) ; chattu mallikâ ; caatmallicâ (Tam.) ; Chiri-malle ; adevie-mallie(Tel.); Katu-pitsjegam (Mal).

Habitat: — Dekkan Peninsula. Ceylon, in the lower Hills frequent ; common, especially in the dry regions.