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N. O. LABIATÆ.
1045


curved, usually softly pubescent, membranous, hairs of mouth as long as the teeth ; teeth very short, subulate scabrid. Flowers lin. long, says Collett from Simla. Calyx hairy near the top, otherwise glabrous.

Uses : — The plant is officinal, being considered stimulant and diaphoretic (Stewart). The seeds yield an oil which is used medicinally by the Santals (Revd. A. Campbell). The fresh juice is used in certain localities as an external application in scabies. The flowers are administered in the form of a syrup as a domestic remedy for coughs and colds.

It is also used as a vegetable rennet.

1017. L. zeylanica, Br., h.f.b.i., iv. 689.

Vern. : — Gatta tumbá (Cingh.)

Habitat : — Assam ; Cachar ; Chittagong.

An erect annual, pubescent or hispidly hairy herb. Stem l-3ft., branched above. Hairs spreading, deflexed or adpressed. Leaves 2-3in., sometimes lin. diam., linear or elliptic-lanceolate, obtuse, sub-serrate, shortly petioled. Whorls small, ½-⅔in. diam., sub-terminal many-fid, rarely axillary. Bracts few, ciliate. Calyx very constant in size and shape, ¼-⅓in., obliquely turbinate glabrous, scabrid or sparsely hispid ; teeth minute, erect or spreading horizontally. Mouth broad pubescent within.

Uses :— The Cinghalese attribute miraculous powers to this plant The leaves are bruised and a teaspoonful of the juice given, which is snuffed up by the natives as a remedy in snake-bites. The fresh juice is also employed in headache and colds (Long, Ind. Plants of Bengal). In Reunion, it is considered to be stimulant and antirheumatic.

Chemi. com.— The herb of L. zeylanica on distillation afforded a very small quantity of essential oil. By boiling a decoction of the herb with soda solution a strong odour was given off, and on condensing the vapour, ammonia and a volatile alkaloid were detected in the distillate. The alkaloid was combined in the plant with an acid giving a green colour with ferric salts. The air-dried plant afforded 7 3 per cent, of ash (Pharmacog. Ind. Ill 124.).

1018. L. aspera, Spreng., h.f.b.i., iv. 690.

Syn. : — Phlomis esculenta, Roxb. 461.