146 



MANUAL OF THE NILAGIRF DISTBICT. 



CHAP. VII. 



Useful 

 Plants. 



N.O. RUBIACE^. 

 Eng. Crown bark. 



Dull. Barak. Tarn. 



Eng. Red bark. Duk. Barak. 



Tarn. 



Cinchona officinalis. 

 Shurap-pattai. 



Cinchona succirubra. 

 Shnrap-pattai. 



These valuable plants, natives of South America, were introduced 

 in 1861, and are now quite naturalised. Other species besides those 

 mentioned above are cultivated, but only to a small extent. The area 

 of the Government cinchona estates is a little over 842 acres. 

 Besides distinct species there are also various varieties and hybrids 

 which have appeared on the estates, and some of which promise to 

 become very valuable. The bark hitherto has been chiefly harvested 

 by what is called the mossing process. Under this system three kinds 

 of bark are sent to market, viz., ' unmossed-hark, mossed-hark, and 

 reneived barl: The alkaloid on which the commercial value of bark 

 chiefly depends is quinine, but it also yields cinchonidine, quinidine and 

 cinchonine, all of which are also very efficacious as febrifuges. The 

 average amount of alkaloids in Nilagiri bark is from 5 to 6 per cent., 

 but some varieties and hybrids have yielded as much as 12 per cent. 

 The crown bark is rich in quinine, and red bark contains chiefly 

 cinchonidine. 



Randia dumetorum. Eng. Emetic nut. Dzik. Med-phal. Tarn. 

 Marukkalan-kai. 



Fruit emetic. 



Gardenia lucida. Duk. Dikamali. Tarn. Kumbai. Ka7i. Dikke-malli. 



Yields a fragrant resin, considered antispasmodic. 



N.O. VALERIANEiE. 

 Valeriana Leschenaultii, V. Brunoniana, Roots have a smell like 

 that of the officinal valerian and might be used as a substitute. 



N.O. COMPOSITE. 

 Vernonia anthelmintica. Eng. Purple Flea-bane. Duk. Kali-ziri. 



Tarn. Kattu-shiragam. Kan. Kadu-jirage. 

 Used by natives as a remedy for leprosy and snake-bite. Also 

 employed to kill parasites in the hair and as an anthelmintic. 



N.O. CAMPANULACEJS. 

 Lobelia excelsa. Leaves poisonous, but may probably become a 

 substitute for the officinal Lohelia. 



N.O. EBENACE^. 

 DiosPTROs embryopteris. Eng. Gab-fruit. 



Tumbilik-kai. 

 Fruit astringent, a remedy in diarrhoea. 



Bnk. Tendu. Tarn. 



1 Unmossed-hark is simply natural bark. 

 Mossed-harh is natural bark which has for some time been covered with moss. 

 Renewed-hark is the bark which forma under in covering of mosa after 

 the natural bark has been stripped off. 



