168 AILISTOLOCBIACE^. 



Description. — The fruit sold In the shops as Gulham^z 

 (Dock flowers) is reddish-brown, about J^ of an inch long, and 

 consists of three fringed, leaf -like expansions, each furnished 

 -with an oblong glandular body and attached at the base to a 



short thick pedicel ; they enclose a triangular, polished^ dark- 

 brown seed. 



Bijband. — Shining angular seeds (nuts), evidently derived 

 from a species of Eumex. They are used as an aphrodisiac. 

 Murray states that the fruit of Polygonum aviculare, Linn., 

 is known as Bijband or Endrani in Sind. According to 

 Atkinson, Eumex WalKchii, Meissn., referred by Hooker to 

 H. mantimiis, Linn., yields the Bijband of the bazars. Probably 

 the seeds of several species are collected. 



Etmex Patientia, which Hooker thinks, along with 

 R. aquaticus, Linn., might be united with R. orientalis, Bernh., 

 has been examined by "W. Dahlen, who gives the following 

 percentage composition:— Water, 92-18 ; Nitrogenous matter, 

 2-42 ; Oil, 0-48 ; Sugar, 0-37 ; Nitrogen-free extractive, 306 ; 

 Fibre, 0-66 ; Ash, 0-82. 



This plant is a native of the Western Himalaya and extends 

 westward to Asia Minor, Syria and Greece ; it was named by 



Hayn 



xiii., 6,\t. 5), from its having 



been identified with the \aTrdeov of the ancients, and it is still 



called 



AEISTOLOCHIACE^. 



ARISTOLOCHIA INDICA, 



Yig.^Wight Jc, t. 1858; Griff. Ic.Pl. AsiaL, 



via., t 25. Indian Birthwort {Eng.). 



Sort. Mai. 



Hab.— Throughout the low country of India. The stem 



and root 



Vernacular,— IsliSLTm^l 



(3f, 



