424, APOCY NACE. 
purplish, twice as long as the calyx, lobes twice as long as the 
tube, falcate, acuminate, mouth and margins spar ingly bearded. 
Dise-glands, 5, erect, slender, capitate, much longer than the 
hairy ovary. Style very short. Follicles 8 to 6 by 4 inch, 
very, slender,, cylindrie, curved, acute, Seeds 4 inch, very 
slender, not beaked ; coma scanty, white. (Fl. Br. Ind.) The 
--plantis described by Roxburgh(As. Res. 1,261) under its native 
name of Syama or Syamalata ; it isa native of the Western 
Himalaya, Upper Gangetic Plain, Bengal, the Deccan Peninsula 
and the Southern Concan. In the Northern Concan and Guzerat 
it appears to be unknown. In Hindustan and Bengal. it 
is known as Syamalata, “black- -creeper,’’ and in the Deccan 
Peninsula as en the Canarese name is Kari- 
umbu, “ black-creeper.” 
The roots-are somewhat similar-in appearance to thidiess of 
‘Hemidesmus;. but’ have ‘ not the same’ coumarin odour. ~The 
bark is of adark brown colour, and adheres closely to the wood, 
mepich 3 is aauch, sheen and differs in structure from that of 
avinga large central pith. The roots are seldom 25 
branched, but ste and there a few fine fibres are. given off; 
they.are almost tasteless. For the properties and uses of this 
‘plant; the reader is referred to. Hemidesmus. 
‘Chemical composition.—The root contains a pacittchode lens 
‘substance soluble in benzol, and a soft, brown, tenacious © resin 
soluble in ether. Treated with alcohol the powdered root 
‘affords about 10 per cent: of dry extract, containing red colour- 
ing matter, tannic acid, and a small quantity of coumarin. 
The tannic acid strikes a green colour with ferric chloride, and 
if to this green mixture a drop of soda solution is added, a 
bright. blue zoneis seen to’surround the red coloured Spot 
formed by the alkali. This reaction is peculiar’ to’ cincho- 
‘tannic acid, , No alkaloidal body could be detected i in this drug. 
Vinca pusilla is the Kupa-veela of Rheede (Hort, Mal, 
ix. 38);-who states that the sang boiled in oil is rubbed on 
the Joins i in lumbago. 
