Page:Indian Medicinal Plants (Text Part 2).djvu/199

Rh panicles. Calyx ½-⅔in., pubescent or mature glabrate ; lobes 3-5, very short, broad. Corolla l½-2in., campanulate or ventricose from near base, sub-glabrous ; lobes round, crispid. Filaments hairy below. Capsule long, hard, woody, rugged or tuberculous, 12-30 by l-l½in., a little curved says Brandis. Valves 1-1½in. broad, woody ; edissepiment, cylindric, shining. Seeds, including the wings l¼-¼in., thinly discoid, in 4 rows.

Uses: — The oil from the wood is useful in cutaneous affections. Dr. Gibson is of opinion that it is well worthy of attention as an external application in these cases (Ph. Ind.). From some trials which I have made with it, I conclude that its properties are similar to those of Pine tar (Dymock).

Vern. : — Kaur. (Kashmir).

Habitat. : — W. Himalaya, from Kashmir to Nepal.

A perennial, erect, glabrous herb. Stem 12-24in. Rootstock woody. Leaves alternate 1-pinnate, 5~8in. Leaflets 5-9, 1-1½in. ovate, end one usually longest, sometimes lobed, scarcely acute. Flowers pink. Racemes not rarely 2-3 sub-panicled. Calyx, says Collett, entire or obscurely toothed ; " truncate or with triangular scarcely acuminate teeth." (C. B, Clarke). Corolla l½-2½in. long, ½-1¼ wide at the mouth ; tube tinged with yellow. Capsule linear, slender, terete, smooth. Seeds winged.

This, a discovery of Dr. Wallich, is the original or first species of Amphicome ; a genus of Northern India, consisting of two species. It is indeed a remarkably handsome plant, native of the mountains of Emodi, near Srinaghur and on the Suen range of hills. [Bot. Mag, December 1st, 1855.]

Parts used : — The root and stem.

Uses. — In Kashmir, the drug is prescribed for fever, and is considered a substitute for chirata.

It contains an alkaloid, an acid fat, a wax, yellow colouring matter and sugar. The alkaloid is intensely bitter and is probably the active medicinal agent in the plant (Annual Report of the Indian Museum, Industrial Section, for the year 1907-8, p. 21 ; Ph. J. Vol. 79, p. 506).