Page:Indian Medicinal Plants (Text Part 2).djvu/478

Syn. :— J. Excelsa, Brand., For. Fl. t 68.

Vern. : — Dhupi, dhupri, chandan, shûpka (Nepal) ; Dhûp, padam, padmak, surgi (H.) ; Sûrgi, lewar, newar, dupri, chundan (Kumaon) ; Chalai, shûpka, shûr, shûrgu, lewar, luir (Pb.) ; Apûrz (Beluch.)

Habitat: — Inner drier ranges of the Himalaya from Nepal, westward.

A moderate-sized, ever-green tree. Bark thin, reddish-brown, fibrous, peeling off in thin, longitudinal flakes. Wood moderately hard, fragrant ; sapwood yellowish ; heart-wood red, with a purplish tinge. Height rarely 50ft., trunk short, but of great girth, usually 6-7ft., at times even more, 33 ft. Branchlets sub-distichous, slender. Leaves dimorphic, of the lower branches subulate, of the upper branches and branchlets, scale like. Foliage light and open ; the scale-like leaves usually opposite, rhomboid, convex, obtuse, closely depressed up to the apex, with a large, resinous gland on the back, the subulate leaves opposite or in whorls, pungent, ⅓in. long. Male catkins on a scaly peduncle at the ends of branchlets, ⅛-1/6in. long, closely set with imbricate scales. Berries sab-globose, bluish-black when ripe, very resinous ; the tips of the scales forming transverse ridges or crests. Seeds 2-5.

Uses: — The fruit is used medicinally, and appears to have similar properties to that of J. communis. The smaller branches, when burnt, are supposed to exercise a deodorising and cleansing influence, and, in Khâgan, they are believed to act as a remedy for the delirium of fever.

Vern. : — Thûno, birmî, zirnub, birmi (Hind.); Rurmie, bhirmie, sugandh (Beng.) ; Diogsableh (Khasia); Teheiray sulah, teheiray gulab (Nepal) ; Nhare (Tibet) ; Tingschi, tsashing (Bhutia) ; Cheongbu (Lepcha) ; Thuner, geli, gallu, lûst (U. P.); Patr (Bomb.)