Page:Indian Medicinal Plants (Text Part 2).djvu/371

Leaves rather crowded, coriaceous, ¾-1½in., elliptic or obovate, or lanceolate, acute at base, obtuse, but sharply apiculate, (mucronate), entire, glabrous, nearly sessile. Flowers pale-green, minute, 3 sometimes 4-merous. Solitary, sometimes 2-3 together, axillary, on long, slender peduncles. Males 1/6in. across, in axillary pedunculate, 5-10fid. clusters ; perianth-lobes triangular ; stamens opposite the lobes ; disk fleshy, 3-lobed ; the lobes alternating with stamens; bisexual. Perianth superior, obconical ; Drupe yellow, ¼-⅓in. diam. Seed one (Brandis), ovoid, truncate, yellowish- white, says Trimen.

Use :— The infusion of the Leaves has powerful emetic qualities (Watt).

Syn. :— E. parviflora, Linn., Roxb. 394.

Vern. : — Hazârdâna (Pb.) ; Nâyeti Dudh mogra (Bomb.) , Dhâkti-dudhi (Mar.) ; Ela-dâdâ-kiriya (Sing.).

Habitat : —Common throughout the hotter parts of India, from the Punjab to the Southern Deccan.

A rather slender, rarely stout annual, 3-18in. long, glabrous or sparsely pubescent, erect or decumbent. Leaves ½-lin., rarely more or less, not coriaceous, more or less serrulate on all the margins except toward the base, opposite, obliquely, broadly or narrowly oblong, obtuse; nerves distinct; base rounded or cordate. Stipules minute, setaceous, lacerate or 0. Involucres, very minute, turbinate, glabrous, with quite entire, minute bracts at the base of the pedicel ; glands very shortly stipitate ; lobes usually projecting above the glands; limb of the latter white or pale-pink, always small, but very variable in size, sometimes 0. Styles, very short. Capsule sub-globose, 1/12in. in diam. Cocci more or less pubescent or glabrous. Seeds ellipsoid, 4-angled, with a thin, mucous coat, bluish when dry, very variable as to the amount and depth of the shallow depressions on the faces which are often obsolete.