Page:Indian Medicinal Plants (Text Part 2).djvu/355

It gives a dark indigo-blue coloration with Erdtnann's reagent, a pale rose-red with pure sulphuric acid, and a reddish-brown with nitric acid. A base, which seems to be identical with laurotetaniue, is also found in the varieties of Tetranthera, Notophccbe, Aperula, Actinodaphne and Illigera pulchra. It is also possible that Laurotetaniue is the alkaloid discovered in 1886 by Eijkman in Haasia squarrosa, Z. et M. (Meded. uit S'Lands Plantentuin, vii, p. 77-10l.)-(Pharmacog. Ind. III., 2l2.)

The seeds yield a solid white fat called in Java Tang kala fat. The fat melts at 42° and has acid values ranging from 3.3 to 8.8 ; specific gravity at 40°, 0°1734 ; saponification value, 268.2 ; iodine value 2.28 ; Reichert-Meissl value, 1.47 ; Hehner value, 76.1. The fat appears to contain olein 2.6, laurim 96.0 per cent. (A. Schroeder, Archiv. Pharm., 1905, 243, 628.)

Vern. :— Meda, gwa, singraf, sangrau, marda, kat marra, kakúri, kerauli, patoia, katmoría, papria, katmedh, kari, rand-kari (Hind.) ; karkawa, karka (Dehra Dun) ; Boro kúkúr-chita (Beng.) ; Pojo (Santal) ; Sualu (Assam) ; Huara (Kachar) ; Ratmanti, kadmero (Nepal) ; Suphut (Lepcha) ; But, mugasong (Michi) ; Bolbek (Garo) ; Mendah, kari, kjera, toska, leja. (Gond.); Leinja (Kurku) ; Rian, gwá, harein, bark = meda lakri (Pb.) ; Ranamba (Mar.) ; Nara mamúdí, nara (Tel.).

Habitat : — From the Punjab and the Salt Range along the foot of the Himalaya, eastwards to Assam, and southwards to the Satpura Range.

A middle-sized evergreen tree. Bark dark-grey, smooth when old, exfoliating in corky scales. Wood olive-grey, soft, not durable, is readily attacked by insects. Branchlets under-side of leaves and inflorescence, with soft brown or rust-coloured pubescence. Height of tree 20-40ft. Branches rather stout. Leaves extremely variable, the largest (Ava ; Wallich) 16 by 9in., usually rusty brown when dry, rarely green, glossy above ; nerves strong beneath, 8-10 pair, joined by parallel transverse veins, petioles ½-lin. Male flower heads 1/6-1/5in. diam. before opening in sessile or nearly sessile clusters. Flowers 5-6 in each head, sessile or on short hairy pedicels. Involucre of 5 rounded membranous bracts. Fruit ¼in. ovoid, long seated on the persistent base of the perianth. Ovary in