AMPELIDEZ. 363 
Hab.—Western Peninsula. The tubers. | 
Vernacular.—Amdhuka (Hind.), Amoluka (Beng.), Ran- 
¥ _ draksha, Kole-jan (Mar.), Sambara-valli (T'el.). 
History, Uses, &c.—This is a large climbing plant, 
with perennial tuberous roots; the fruit and leaves as 
well as the whole appearance of the plant remind one of the 
Vine. Rheede says that the juice of the root with that of the 
kernel of the cocoanut is used as a depurative and aperient. 
The country folk in the Concan also. use it as an alterative in 
the form of a decoction ; they consider that it purifies the blood, 
acts as a diuretic, and renders the secretions healthy. The 
tubers of V. latifolia, Govila (Beng.), Rheede, Hort. Mat. 
vii., 18, ¢. 7, are used for a similar purpose. 
Description.—The roots form large bunches of tubers 
attached toa central root stock; tke tubers are from one to 
two feet long, tapering at both ends, witha maximum dia- 
meter, when fresh, of from two to three inches ; externally they 
are covered by a brown epidermis, and marked with small. 
wart-like protuberances arranged in circular rings 5 internally 
they are red and juicy. A section shows a thick stringy 
cortical portion easily separable, and a central fleshy part of | 
the consistence of a parsnip. Under the microscope the root 
is seen to be made of a thin-walled parenchyma, the cells of 
Which contain large oblong. starch granules, and numerous 
bundles of needle-shaped crystals; the outer portion of the 
root and root bark is traversed by numerous very large fenes- 
trated vessels. The taste is sweetish, mucilaginous and 
astringent. The tubers are rich in salts of potash and lime, 
When fresh they are acrid, owing to the mechanical irritation — 
Caused by the needles of oxalate of lime. : 
LEEA SAMBUCINA, Willd. 
Fig.—Rheede, Hort. Mal. ti., 26.; Wight, Ic. t. 785 
t. 58, Syn.—Leea Staphylea, Roxb. 
Hab.—Hotier parts of India. The roots. 
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