; -FICOIDEA. , 103 
season ; leaves 4 to 1} in., obovate ; petiole tin.; flowers soli-+ 
tary; calyx-lobes obtuse, cuspidate ; stamens 10 to 20;  cap- 
sule 2 in., scarious below, beak exserted, coriaceous, Se 
een adnate to the enclosed seed, lower part 3 to 5-seeded. 
Seeds black, scarcely shining, with concentric, broken, and 
undulating, raised lines. (Fl. "Br, Ind.) 
_ Chemical composition. —The plant affords a thick mucilagi- 
nous decoction unaffected by iodine solution, and precipitated 
by ferric chloride and neutral acetate of lead. It gives a pre- 
cipitate with barium hydrate, which contains a glucoside hav- 
ing similar properties to saponin; the insoluble decomposition 
product when weighed pointed to the presence of a small 
amount of this body. 
: 
: 
E 
MOLLUGO STRICTA, Linn. 
Fig.—Rheede Hort. Mal. x., t. 26. 
Hab.--Throughout India, The plant. 
MOLLUGO See ots —_ 
Fig. —Rheede Hort. Mal. «., t. 24, 
Hab. -—lEhronglbout India, except the N.-Western pitts 
Vernacular,—Jima (Hind., Beng.), Toora-elley, Kacchantha- 
ra (Tam.), Chayntaréshiakoo (Tel.), Jharasi (Mar.), a 
_ jira ee ), Parpataka (Can.). 
& pot herb. The Hindi name is derived from the Sanskrit 
fim or 9H, to eat. Medicinally they are considered to ted 
stomachic, aperient and antiseptic. 
_ Rheede, speaking of M, stricta, says: ee ioe ex tots hac 
lanta confectum cholerg medetur; preparatur et ex illa 
‘minuit.” Ane (ii., ais writes to the : 
