Page:Indian Medicinal Plants (Text Part 2).djvu/215

Rh ovate, subsessile, nearly glabrous, 4½- by 2in., obtuse or subacute ; petiole scarcely ⅛in. Spikes l-2in., sometimes agglomerated into axillary globes, 3-4in. diam., bracts ½in., purplish. Calyx ⅓in., one lobe shortly 3-toothed, the other deeply 2-fid. Corolla 3/5in., limb a line blue, obconic, subentire, plicate ; lower lip of 3 very depressed triangular lobes, upper an emarginate subsimilar lobe. Anthers pubescent. Capsule ⅔in., 4-seeded. Seeds ⅓in., diamet. The plant appears rarely to seed.

Uses. — It is powdered and made into a paste which is used to cure ringworm, and the roots are administered in that form of indigestion in which fatty or saponaceous, grape-like masses are observed in the stools. They resemble Serpentaria in appearance, but may be distinguished by the thick covering of white, silky hairs upon the root stock. The roots have hardly any taste.

Syn. : — Justicia paniculata, Burm. Roxb. 40.

Sans. : — Kirata ; Bhunimba ; Mahâtikta (king of bitters).

Vern. : — Kiryát, charáyetah, mahátia (Hind.) ; Kálmegh, mahátia (Beng.)'; Olenkiráyat (Mar.) ; Kiryáta, olikiryât, kiryáto, kariyátu (Guz.) ; Charayetah, kalafnáth (Duk.) ; Nila-veêmbu, shirat-kuchch (Tam.) ; Nela-vêmu (Tel.) ; Nila-veppu, kiriyattu (Mala.) : Nela-bevinágidâ, kreata (Kan.)

Habitat : — Througout India, from Lucknow and Assam to Ceylon (probably introduced in some of the northern stations).

An erect annual, l-3ft. high, branches sharply 4-angled or almost winged. Leaves 2-3in. long, lanceolate, acute, tapering to the base, paler beneath, main lateral nerves 4-6 pairs, petioles none or up to ¼ in. long. Flowers small, solitary, arranged in lax spreading axillary and terminal racemes or panicles, the whole forming a large paniculate inflorescence ; pedicels distinct, gland. -pubescent ; bracts 1/10in. long, lanceolate bracteoles smaller or none. Calyx ⅛ in. long ; segments equal linear-lanceolate, gland. -pubescent. Corolla pink, ⅜in. long, hairy outside, tube 1/5in. long, dilated below the limb. Filaments