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lateral nerves indistinct. Involucres 3 together, central sessile with male flowers, lateral, pedunculate with only male or both male and female flowers ; lobes fimbriate, erect, ovate. Bracteoles many. Capsule |in. diam. Seeds smooth. (Kanjilal.)

Uses : — The juice of the leaves used internally as a purgative ; mixed with nim oil externally applied in rheumatism. On the Western Coast bark of the root boiled in rice water and arrack given in dropsy. Leaves, simply warmed in the fire, will promote urine, ex ternally applied, while their juice warmed is a good remedy in ear-ache and occasionally rubbed over the eyes to remove dimness of sight. (Ainslie and Rheede.) The pulp of the stem, mixed with green ginger given to persons bitten with mad dogs, previous to the appearance of hydrophobia. (Journ. Agri-Horti. Soc. X 37.) Horsfield (Asiat. Journ., vol. vii , p. 265) mentions a case of dropsy in which he prescribed the inspissated juice of E. Nivulia in doses of a few (?) grains as a diuretic, and states that it was productive of evident relief. (Ph. Ind.)

Chem. Comp.— The dried juice contains 35 per cent, of Euphorbon, 25.40 per cent, of resin soluble in ether, 13.70 of resin insoluble in ether, 1.50 per cent, of caoutchouc, and the other constituents of commercial gum euphorbium. The dried juice of E. Tirucalli was also found to be of a similar nature, and to contain 4 per cent, of caoutchouc. Henke examined the juice of sixteen species of Euphorbia and ascertained that they all contain euphorbon, so that we may fairly suppose it, as well as an acid resin, malate of calcium, and caoutchouc, to be a constant constituent of the milky juice of all the plants belonging to the genus. (Archiv. d. Pharm. Vol. 224, 729-759.)

Sans. :-— Sihunda, vajra, vajrakantaka.

Vern. : — Tindhâra sehund, tidhâra-sehur (H.) ; Narasij, tekâtâsij, bâjbâran, lariya-dâona (B.) ; Etkec' (Sant.) ; Dokânâ-siju (Uriya) ; Shidu (Michi) ; Naraseja (Mar.) ; Tandhári-send (Guz.) ; Shadhurak-kalli, tirikalli (Tam.) ; Bomma jemudu, bonta-chemudu (Tel.); mudu, mula-jemudu (Kan.) ; Katak-kalli (Mal.).

Habitat .-—Throughout the hotter parts of India in dry places.

A polymorphous plant (Wight), attaining 25ft. (Kurz), 15-30ft. (Trimen). Trunk stout, often 3ft. or more in circum-