Page:Indian Medicinal Plants (Text Part 2).djvu/476

Habitat: — Planted only in N.-W. India.

A tall, evergreen tree. Bark thin, light, peeling off in thin strips. Wood light-brown, moderately hard, close and even-grained. An ornamental tall tree, cultivated in gardens, attaining 100ft. and 9ft. girth of the trunk ; branches and their tips erect, with the leaves 4-angled ; crown narrowly cylindrical of dark-green foliage. Leaves ovate-oblong, convex, with a gland on either side. Anthers about 4 ; cones few, scattered, peduncled, lin. diam., globose or oblong ; scales of cone tubercled, 3-14, usually lin. diam., with a short, convex or keeled horn or boss. Seeds ovoid or oblong, nucleus angled.

Uses : — Wood and fruit are regarded as astringent and anthelmintic. (Watt.) The fruit is prescribed as an aromatic stimulant in piles. (T. N. Mukerji.)

Vern. : — Aaraar (Hind.); Chichia (Kumaon) ; Nûch, pâma, pethra, bentha, betar (Kashmir) ; Petthrî, petthar, betthal wetyar, pâma, giâshûk, lassar, nûch, chûch, betar, dhûp, lewar, langshûr, thelu, gûgil, chûi, shûpa, fruit = haulber, abhûl (Pb.); Langshûr thelu, lewar (Kunawar); Chûni, shuha (Spiti) ; Sbama (Lahoul); Abhal (Dec.) ; Fruit = Abhal,habbul-aaraar, samratul- arraar (Arab.).

Habitat : — Western Himalaya, from Kumaon westward.

A dense, diffuse, ever-green shrub. Leaves ¼-¾in., in whorls of three, straight, spreading or erect ; base narrowed, upper surface pale or white, concave ; lower green, convex, or obtusely keeled beneath, with a more or less prominent cushion on branchlets, persistent 3-4 years. Flowers axillary, supported by small, imbricating bracts ; the male catkins ovoid, yellow, antheriferous ; scales broad-ovate, acuminate. The females resembling leaf-buds. Fruit globose, blue-black when ripe ¼-⅓in., very fleshy, ripening in August and September of the year after flowering. Seeds usually 3. Fruit sweet, aromatic, resinous, covered with a handsome, light bloom. Bark thin, reddish-brown, fibrous. Wood white ; heartwood yellowish or pale-red,