AMARANTACE^E. I39 



History, Uses, &C. — These plants are used by the 



natives of India as diuretics, and are considered to be of great 

 value iu litliiasis; tliey are also thought to be antidotal in cases 

 of poisoning by arsenic-. The flowers are sold iu the bazars of 

 Northern India under the name of Bhui -kalian. ^. lanata is 

 the Scherubala of Rhecde, and Ainslic states that the Vytians 

 consider the root to be demulcent and prescribe a decoction 

 in strangury ; in the Concan it is used as a diuretic. ^. jara- 



": we 



nfornied 



nica has a great reputation in Hyderabad, Deccan, as a remedy 

 for lithiasis, and the flowers have been brought to us for iden- 

 tification by the medical attendant of a gentleman in Bombay, 

 who had been in the habit of obt^aining them from Hyderabad 

 under the Marathi name of Eumra-piudi, which is equivalent to 

 the Telingi Tindi-conda, and signifies "cock's pinda 



derived from their 

 use.^ These plants resemble Achyrauthes aupcm in theiir 

 medicinal properties. The flowers are very soft and woolly, 

 and are used for stufiing pillows and mattresses iu Sind and in 

 Egypt. In Southern India the natives use the flowering 

 spikes during the Pongul festival for decorating their houses. ° 



Description.— The plants have a white tomentose app'^ar- 

 ance. The leaves are alternate. The minute flowprs are in 

 dense terminal or axillary spikes, those of JE.javanicah^m^ 

 much the largest, often 4 to 5 inches in length ; they are herma- 

 phrodite, with three concave persistent bracts. The calv^- 

 consists of five, nearly equal, erect and hairy sepals ; the five 

 stamens are united into a cup at their base ; the ovary is one- 

 celled, with a single ovule in each cell. The fruit is a roundish 

 utricle. 



CELOSIA ARGENTEA, Linn. 



Fig.~JFu/M Ic, t. 1767; liheede^ ITort. Mai. x., t. 38, 39. 

 Hab.— Throughout India and tropical Asia. The seeds. 



Vernac^aax.■~^ixx^vi\i, Suft^d-raurgha {Ilhul.), Svet-murga 

 {iic,Hj.), Li^padi [Guz.), Kurdu {Mar.), Gurugu {Tel), Goraji 

 {Can.) 



