Page:Indian Medicinal Plants (Text Part 2).djvu/311

(Trans-Indus); Kapur-madhura (Mar.); Sirrú-púláy vayr (Tam.); Pindie-conda (Tel.).

Habitat : — Plains of Bengal, from Dacca and Behar westward to the Indus. The Concan, Central India and through-out the Deccan.

A very common perennial weed, often woody at base. Stems erector prostrate, numerous, long, with slender branches, cylindric, more or less cottony hairy. Leaves alternate, numerous, ¾-1¼in. on main stem, much smaller, ¼-⅜in., on branches, oval or spathulate-oval, tapering at base, rounded or sub-acute at apex, entire, finely hairy-pubescent above, more or less white with cottony hair beneath. Petiole short, obscure. Flowers very small, sessile, often bisexual, greenish white, in very small, dense, sessile axillary heads or spikes. Bracts shorter than sepals, ovate, obtuse, with membranous margins woolly with long white hairs outside. Stigmas 2, very short.

Uses : — The flowering tops of the above two species are officinal, and the roots are used in the treatment of headache, and by the natives of the Malabar Coast are regarded as demulcent.

Sans. : — Apámárga, ágháta, apangaka.

Vern. :— -Apáng (Beng. and Ass.) ; Látjirá, chirchira, chirchitta (H.) ; Agháda (Bom. and Mah.) ; Uttaréni. antisha, apa márgamu (Tel.); Náyurivi (Tam.) ; Kutri, phut kanda (Gujrat) ; Kataláti (Mal.); Utráni-gida uttaráne (Kan.) ; Aghedo (Guj.) ; Margia (Sind.)

Eng. :— The Prickly Chaff-flower.

Habitat :— A shrub found all over India, ascending to 3,000 ft.

Annual herbs. 'Stems l-2ft., erect, stiff, with long spreading branches thickened above nodes, striate, pubescent. Leaves few, usually thick, leathery, broadly ovate or orbicular, 3-5 by 2-3in., tapering to base, usually rounded, on short petioles, sometimes acute, or apex entire, but often' very undulate, very finely and