OFFICIAL MEDICINAL PLANTS 69 



Genus RICINUS 

 RICINUS COMMUNIS L. Taj?gan-tangan or Castor-oil plant. 



A description of this species and its local names are given 

 in the section on resins, gnms, and oils. 



Castor oil, which is obtained from this plant, is official in 

 all the twentieth-century pharmacopoeias. 



Family ANACARDIACEAE 



Genus ANACARDIUM 

 ANACARDIUM OCCIDENTALE L. Kasui or CASHEW NUT. 



A description of this species and its local names are given 

 in the section on resins, gums, and oils. 



The leaves are official in the Mexican and the Netherlandish 

 Pharmacopoeias. 



Family MYRTACEAE 



Genus EUGENIA 

 EUGENIA CUMINI Druce. DtJHAT. 



A description of this species and its local names are given 

 in the section on food plants. 



The bark is official in the Netherlandish Pharmacopoeia. 



Genus PSIDIUM 

 PSIDIUM GUAJAVA L. Bayabas or GuAVA. 



A description of this species and its local names are given 

 in the section on food plants. 



The leaves of this species are official in the Netherlandish 

 Pharmacopoeia. 



Family UMBELLIFERAE 



Genus CENTELLA 

 CENTELLA ASIATICA (L.) Urban. (Hydrocotyle asiatica L.) 



Local names: Tagaditok (Batanes Islands); botbotonis (Bontoc) ; takaip 

 (Polillo) ; takip-kohol (Tagalog) ; yabong-yabong (Samar). 



The leaves are official in the Mexican, Netherlandish, and 

 Spanish Pharmacopoeias. 



Centella asiatica is a prostrate, slightly hairy herb. The stem 

 produces roots at the nodes. The leaves are rounded at the tip, 

 kidney-shaped or heart-shaped at the base, and 2 to 5 centimeters 

 in diameter. The petiole is veiy long. The flowers are dark 

 purple, with petals about 1 millimeter in length. 



This species is distributed in open places from Luzon to Min- 

 danao and Basilan. 



