Page:Indian Medicinal Plants (Text Part 2).djvu/533

Root-stock short, with many long cylindric tortuous roots as thick as a swan's quill ; stem slender, unarmed, not tuberiferous, terete, pubescent or tomentose ; leaves opposite rarely alternate 3-5 by l-3in., polymorphous, from lanceolate to oblong-oval or orbicular, obtusely acuminate or rounded at both ends, coriaceous, 3-5- veined, margins cartilaginous, sparsely hairy on both surfaces, petiole ¼-½in. ; male spikes ¼-¾in., alternate or whorled on a long filiform tomentose pendulous rhachis 4-10 in. long ; flowers pale-greenish, crowded, sessile by a broad base, nearly glabrous, about 1/20 to 1/12in. broad ; bract small, ovate, acuminate, membranous; outer perianth-segment broadly ovate or orbicular, concave, inner smaller, obovate ; stamens 6, filament short, anther didymous; pistillode obscure ; flower female distant on axillary, pendulous, tomentose spikes 6-8in. long, bracts minute ; perianth-segments orbicular, glabrous or pubescent ; staminodes 6, minute ; stigmas linear, 2- fid ; fruit orbicular or broader than long, 1½-2½in. diam., glabrous, top retuse or almost 2-lobed, base cuneate, carpels ½-ciraular ; seeds orbicular, ⅔-1¼ in. diam., wing very broad all round. (Trimen).

Uses : — The root, ground and heated, is applied to reduce swellings ; it is also used in snake-bite and scorpion sting.

Vern. : — Rátalu (H.) ; Ato sang (Santali) ; Chiná, gordikaunphal (Bomb.) ; Gorkand, gorádu (Mar.) ; Zamskollung (Guz.) ; Heggenasu (Kan.).

Habitat : — Cultivated over the greater part of India.

An extensively climbing herb. Root-tubers very large, globose or elongate ; stem terete, unarmed, glabrous, tuberiferous in the leaf-axils. Leaves opposite and alternate, 3-14in. long and broad, broadly ovate, cordate, sometimes broader than long, acuminate, cuspidate or caudate, 7-9- veined, glabrous, membranous ; basal sinus broad, deep or shallow; petiole 2-6in. Male-spikes l-4in., filiform, crowded or scattered on the branches of crowded axillary, slender, pendulous, glabrous spikes or panicles up to 12in. long, green or purplish. Flowers yellowish-white, solitary, sessile by a