Page:Indian Medicinal Plants (Text Part 2).djvu/14

764 A scandent shrub, stems glabrous ; twigs minutely pubescent or almost villous. Leaves very variable on the same plant, simple, numerous, small, usually ½-2in., but at times attaining 3½in. Ovate-oval or oval-lanceolate, rounded at base, sometimes alternate, acute or obtuse at apex, glabrous. Flowers variable in size, white, on long slender peduncles, solitary or more usually in threes, at ends of short lateral divaricate twigs ; Calyx glabrous ; segments distant, short, ⅛-1/6in., filiform, acute ; Corolla-tube about ⅞in. ; lobes 7 or 8, equalling the tube, linear oblong, very acute, ripe carpel, about ⅓in. by ¼in. broadly-ovoid, unsymmetrical, both usually developed.

Use : — The bitter root, ground small and mixed with powdered vassumboo (root of Acorus Calaums) and lime-juice, is considered a valuable external application in cases of ringworm (Ainslie).

Syn. : — J. chrysanthemum, Roxb. 33; J. revolutum, Sims.

Sans. : — Hemapushpikâ.

Vern. : — Chamba, juari, tsonu, tsuman, summan, kuja (Pb.) ; Sonajahi (Kumaun) ; Swarna-jui (B.) ; Malto, Pitmâlti (H.) ; Pachcha adavi molla (Tel.).

Habitat: — Hills of India; Himalaya, from Kashmir to Bhutan ; Abu. Hills of South India, common in the Nilgiris. Hills of Ceylon.

A small, erect, rigid, wholly glabrous shrub. Bark thin, grey. Wood white, moderately hard-grained. Branches angular, green, glabrous. A handsome shrub, with fragrant yellow flowers. Leaves alternate imparipinnate, rachis 1-1½in. ; leaflets 5 (2 pair and an end one) (Trimen and Kanjilal), 2-3 by 7/10-1 1/5in., variable in size, lanceolate-oval, oblong or ovate, very variable, glabrous. Flowers dimorphic, ½-¾ in. long, 1-3 together, terminal or leaf-opposed, in short terminal, compound, corymbose cymes. Pedicels ¾in., drooping, thickened below flower. Calyx glabrous, segments short, triangular, acute. Corolla about lin., tube funnel-shaped, lobes 5, short, recurved, rotundate. Fruit didymous. Ripe berries globose or ellipsoid, pulpy, ⅞in.