CUCURBITACEZ. 95 
History, Uses, &c.—In the Nighantas this plant bears 
_ the Sanskrit names of Chirpota, Dirghapatra, Kuntali and 
_ Tiktaka; it is described as cold, dry, and aperient, and bene- 
_ ficial in asthma and cough. Rheede (viii., 47, 48, 49,) calls it 
Penar-valli, which appears to be a corruption of the Sanskrit 
Pinda-valli ; he says that the Dutch call it Naet-klim and the 
Portuguese Fruita’ bandoliera. The latter name is given to 
the fruit from its resemblance to the leather cases called bando- 
leers, each containing a charge of powder, of which every 
musketeer wore twelve, suspended by a shoulder belt. In 
Malabar a bath made by boiling the leaves in water is used to 
remove the nervous irritation caused by boils, and an antispas- 
modic liniment is made by pounding the leaves with milk and 
butter. In Ceylon the plant is used as a febrifuge. 
Description.—Leaves 6 to 8 by 3 to 4 inches, usually 
_ acute ; petiole one inch; male flowers very small, pedicels } to 
_ Finch ; female flowers, including the ovary, } inch ; ovary early 
q Se cicaii one-celled by the separation of the heen fleshy 
placentas; seeds much compressed, hardly 1-10 inch thick ; ; 
_ capsule large, like a candle extinguisher. 
ECBALLIUM ELATERIUM, 4. Richard. 
; Fig.—Bentl. and Trim., t. 115. Squirting Cucumber 
| (Eng.), Concombre d’dne (F’r.). 
_  Hab.—Europe, Northern Asia. The fruit. 
Vernacular.—Khiyér-i-khar, Katha-el-himar (Pers., Arab.), 
Ka4tri-indraéyan (Ind. Bazars). . 
History, Uses, &c.—The git occasionally reaches 
India in a dry state. It is imported from Persia, and has evi- 
dently been gathered while immature, as the contents, pare not 
Georgian popular mae Faia “= name of me ana, it 
good reputation a as a 
