Page:Indian Medicinal Plants (Text Part 2).djvu/182

932 a compound, C48H69O20Bz8, which melts at 128°, and with phenyl-hydrazine it yields a compound which contains nitrogen and melts at 163.° Attempts to prepare bromide failed, as the hydrogen bromide which is formed decomposes the glucoside. When curangin is boiled with a 2 per cent, solution of hydrogen chloride in alcohol, it is decomposed into curangaegenin and a sugar, which appears to consist mainly of rhamnose.

The crude curangaegenin contains two compounds, of which the one (A) present in the larger quantity is soluble in ether, and is apparently partially converted into the other (B) by prolonged boiling with the alcoholic acid solution, (B) is insoluble in ether. Both substances are easily soluble in ehylacetate, acetone, glacial aceticacid, or methyl, ethyl, or amyl alcohol." J. Ch. S. 1903 A.I. 243.

Curangaegenin, C30H47O7, does not contain methoxy-groups. The formula was confirmed by molecular weight determinations. Curangin is either non-poisonous or only very slightly poisonous. (J. Ch. S. 1900. A. I. 304.)

Vern :— Kâkupu (Mal.).

Habitat: — Western Peninsula, and the Neilgherry Mts.

Nearly glabrous or pubescent herb, diffusely branched ; creeping below. Branches 6-10in. long, slender. Leaves l½-2in., ovate-cordate or lanceolate, serrate, acuminate ; petiole short rarely more than ¼in. Pedicels axillary and subumbellate, fruiting thickened. Calyx tubular, fruiting lin., narrowly oblong, keeled, hardly winged; base decurrent. Corolla 1¼-1½in., blue, with very dark violet lateral lobes. Longer filaments toothed. Stigma 2-lamellate.

Use : — The juice of the leaves is considered on the Malabar coast a cure for gonorrhæa (Rheede).

Vern. : — Vaka-pushpi or " crane flower" (Mar.).

Habitat: — Throughout India, from Kashmir to Assam, Tennasserim and the S. Deccan.

Erect, quite glabrous, annual herbs, branched from the base ; branches divaricate, not rooting, 4-8in. high. Leaves ½-¾in., sessile, elliptic or oblong. Pedicels very slender, usually twice as long as the leaves. Sepals ⅛-1/6in. long, rather obtuse, lanceolate or linear rather shorter than the ovoid orbicular capsule.