Page:Indian Medicinal Plants (Text Part 2).djvu/136

886 Pedicels ⅛-1in. Sepals ¼in., elliptic, obtuse, glabrous or nearly so, with or without a mucro. Corolla widely funnel-shaped, glabrous, middle-sized, purplish. Capsule ¼-⅓in., glabrous. Seed subtrigonous, dark-brown.

Use :— The root possesses cathartic properties and is sometimes used by the Sindhis as jalap (Murray).

It contains convolvulin.

Sans. : — Vishnugandhi.

Vern. : — Sankhpushpi (Pb.) ; Shankhaveli (Bomb.) ; Vistnoo-krandie (Tam.) ; Vistna-clandi (Malayalam) ; Vistnoo-krandum (Tel.).

Habitat : — Very common throughout India ; rare in very damp regions.

A much-branched diffuse perennial herb ; annual branches many, spreading from a short woody root-stock, wiry, more or less pilose or sometimes almost glabrous. Leaves variable, sessile or nearly so, ¼-lin. long, lanceolate to ovate, obtuse, mucronate, acute at the base, densely clothed with appressed white or fulvous silky pubescence. Flowers blue or white, on 1-3-flowered filiform peduncle ; bract small, linear, hirsute, persistent, pedicels filiform. Calyx densely silky ; segments 1/6in. long, lanceolate, acute. Corolla subrotate, 1/5in. long. Capsule ⅛-1/5in, in diam., 4-valved and usually 4-seeded. (Duthie.)

Parts used : — Leaves, stalks and roots.

Use : — In the Vedic period, it was believed to possess the power of promoting conception. The Mahomedan physicians believe that this plant has the power to strengthen the brain and memory (Dymock).

It is used as a febrifuge with cunim and milk also as an alterative and with oil to promote the growth of the hair (Rheede).

The leaves, stalks, and roots are all used in medicine by the Tamools, and are supposed to possess virtues in certain bowel affections. They are prescribed in infusion in the quantity of