Page:Indian Medicinal Plants (Text Part 2).djvu/232

982 Among the Santals the root is given as a medicine in fevers (Revd. A. Campbell).

N.B. — In Bombay, the above two species are sometimes employed by the shopkeepers to adulterate Fumitory (Fumaria officinalis) ; hence they are also called pitpáprá there (K. R. K.).

Vern. : — Kirch, Semni, Lakshmana (Pb.) ; Bouna (Simla).

Habitat : — Frequent in the plains of N. India, from the Punjab to Assam, Silhet and E. Bengal, Bhotan.

Diffuse herbs. Stems l-3ft, elongate, very nearly glabrate. Leaves 2½ by lin., base cuneate, elliptic, acute, obscurely pubescent or glabrate. Petiole ¼in. Flowers in clusters, axillary and terminal, sessile, more rarely shortly peduncled. Bracts nearly ½ by 1/5in., often 3-nerved, ciliate, thinly pubescent, cuneate-elliptic obovate, apiculate, not acuminate. Corolla ¾in. Capsule ¼in., clavate, puberulous or glabrous. Seeds conspicuously verrucose.

Use : — According to Stewart, the plant is used medicinally in the Punjab.

It is said to be a useful tonic (Watt).

Syn. : — Justicia bicalyculata, Vahl., Roxb 42.

Vern. : — Nasa bhaga (B.) ; Barge khode baha (Santal.) ; Kali- andi jahria (Merwara) ; Ghátpitta-pápada (Mahr.) ; Atreelal (Hind.) ; Nazpat (Sind.) ; Chebira (Tel.).

Habitat : — Tropical and Subtropical India, from the Punjab and Sind to Assam and Madras.

Erect spreading herbs, thinly patently hairy. Leaves 2 by lin., ovate, acuminate. Petiole ¼in. Each pair of bracts long-petioled. Bracts ⅓ by 1/20in., unequal, linear or linear-spathulate, acute mucronate. Panicles lax,divaricate. Corolla ⅓-½in. Anther cells ovoid, remote, ovoid, not linear, which latter is the characteristic of the other species of genus Peristrophe Capsule ⅓-½in. Seeds minutely glandular, papillose.