Page:Indian Medicinal Plants (Text Part 2).djvu/565

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N. 0. PALMEÆ.
1315


of cough, asthma and other chest complaints ; also in fever, gonorrhœa, &c. The gum is esteemed as a useful remedy in diarrhœa and diseases of the genito-urinary system. Long continued use of the fruit is said to produce soreness of the gums. Honigberger states that the inspissated juice was, in his time, officinal in Lahore. The natives of South India make a paste of the seeds by triturition with water, and apply it over the eyelids for opacity of the cornea. The fresh juice is cooling and laxative. In the cold season, when the juice does not undergo fermentation, it is an excellent medicine.

" Date-sugar " is more nutritious and agreeable than Cane-sugar. It can be used as a substitute for maltine and its various preparations. (Dr. R. L. Dutt. in Watt's Dic).

The tree yields a gum (huku chil), used medicinally in the Punjab (Watt.)

1300. P. sylvestris, Roxb., h.f.b.l, vi, 425 ; Roxb. 723.

Sans. : — Khurjhúri, kharjuru, madhukshîr.

Vern. :--Sendhi, khaúr, khaji, thalma, (H.); Kajar, khejur (Beng.) ; Khejuri (Ur.) ; Khajur (Kol.) ; Khijur (Santal); Sindi (Gond.) ; Khajúr, khaji, juice = sendhi, tári (Pb.) ; Sendi (Berar) ; Boichand, sendri, Shindi (Mar.) ; Karak (Guz.) ; Itchumpannay, peria-itcham itchamnar, (Tam.) ; Ita, peddaita, ita-nara, ishan-chedi (Tel.) ; Ichal kullu, ichalu mara (Kan.)

Habitat: — Cultivated throughout the plains of India and Burma. Wild in the Indus basin. The seeds are eaten by birds and dropped undigested with their excreta. That may partly account for so-called wild growth of this very handsome hardy palm.

An erect palm, reaching 40-50ft. high, l-2ft. in girth. Stem thick, densely crowded with the bases of the petioles of the leaves or marked by prominent scars if the leaves have fallen. Wood light-brown, outer cylinder hard and rough ; inner soft. The crown 12-15ft. in diameter. Near the ground there is often a dense mass of rootlets, no root-suckers. Leaves 10-15ft., quite glabrous, greyish-green. Spines up to 4in. long ; leaflets 6-18