Page:Indian Medicinal Plants (Text Part 2).djvu/636

Ref. :— Beddome's Handbook to the Ferns of Br. In., p. 83.

Sans. : — Mayúraśikhá.

Vern. : — Adhsarita-ki-jari ; Gun Kiri ; Raj-hans ; Parsiya washan (Pb.).

Habitat : — Throughout India, Ceylon and the Malay Peninsula in the plains and on lower slopes of hills.

Stipes, 2-4 inches long, tufted, wiry, spreading, dark chestnut brown, tomentose, fronds 6-12 inches long, simply pinnate, often elongated and rooting at the extremity, pinnæ ½-¾ inches long, ¼ inch deep, dimidiate, nearly sessile, the lower line straight and horizontal, the upper rounded, more or less cut, often deeply and repeatedly, the point usually blunt, the lower ones slightly stalked texture coriaceous, the veins prominent ; the rachis and both surfaces of the frond villose. Sori roundish or transversely oblong on the edge of the lobes. (Beddome).

Uses : — The leaves of this species are, in the island of Bourbon, used in the preparation of sirop-de-capillaire. (Ainslie). Used to cure cough and fever. (Ibbetson.)

Used externally as a remedy for skin diseases. (Surg. W. Barren, Bhuj.) Said to be useful in diabetes. (D. R. Thompson, M. D. Madras.).— Watt's Diet.

Ref :— - Beddome's Hand book to the Ferns of Br. Ind., p : 84.

Vern : — Dûmtuli (Kashmir) ; Pursha ; Hansraj ; Mubâraka, (Hind) ; Hanspadi (Guj).

Habitat : — Western Himalaya ; Punjab ; common in South India. Near Panchgani (Birdwood's catalogue of Matheran and Mahableswar). (K. R. K.).

Stipes suberect, rather slender, 4-9 inches long, polished, blackish, naked ; fronds bipinnate, with a short terminal pinna and numerous erect-patent lateral ones on each side, the lowest slightly branched again ; segments ½-1 inch broad, the base cuneate, the outer edge rounded, deeply lobed from the circumference in the direction of the centre, and the lobes again bluntly crenated, lowest petioles ¼ inch long, texture pellucid herbaceous, thin ; rachis and both surfaces naked ; sori roun-