Page:Indian Medicinal Plants (Text Part 2).djvu/467

Sigrik (Santal) ; Bhesh (Garo) ; Bhi (Assam) ; Pani jama (Beng.); Laila, bainsnj (N.-W. India); Bis, bitsa, bakshel (Pb.) ; Yir (Kashmir) ; Válunj, bachá (Dec.) ; Atrupalai (Tam.') ; Etipála (Tel.) ; Atrapala (Mal.) ; Momakha (Burm.) ; Niranji (Kan.); Sufaida, badha (Sindh) ; Wullunj, bacha (Bombay); Boch, bach (M.) ; Dhanie (C. P.)

Habitat  : — Throughout tropical and Sub-tropical India, from the Punjab eastwards to Mishmi, Assam and Munnipore and southwards to Travancore.

A moderate-sized, deciduous tree, 20-40ft. Bark rough, with deep, vertical, rough fissures. Wood red, soft, porous, even-grained. Flowering after leafing ; trunk stout, attaining 10ft. girth ; head large; branches sub-erect. Young shoots and young leaves silky ; branchlets and underside of leaves sometimes pubescent. Leaves 3-6in., glabrous, glaucous beneath, lanceolate, rarely ovate-lanceolate, minutely and regularly serrulate, acuminate. Lateral nerves numerous, prominent. Petiole ¼-lin. Stipules ovate or orbicular, deciduous. Peduncle leaf-leaving. Male catkins 2-4in., on leafy branchlets, sweet-scented ; bracts obovate or spathulate, pale, hairy ; stamens 5-10. Anthers minute. Female catkins 3-5in. long ; bracts pale, smaller. Disk small, ½ annular. Capsules long, stipulate, glabrous or pubescent, in groups of 3-4. Pedicels as long as the capsule, 1/10-1/6in. long. Stigmas 2, spreading, sub-sessile, generally entire. Seeds 4-6. Fruiting catkins, sometimes 5in.

Uses  : — The bark is stated by Dalzell and Gibson (Flora of Bombay, p. ii., p. 82) to be of some account as a febrifuge. Mr. Long (Journ. of Agri.-Hort. Soc. of India, 1858, vol. x., p. 43 ) states that the bark yields "atonic substance." If by this he means Salicine (the crystalline principle found in some European species of Salix ), he is under a mistake, as Sir W. O'Shaughnessy carefully examined this bark, and failed to detect any trace of this principle. (Bengal Disp., p. 606). (Ph. Ind.)

Vern. :— -Bed (Afg.) ; Budha (Sind.); Bisu, bada (Pb.) ; Jalmâlâ (Dehra Dun.)