252 



THE POISONOUS PLANTS OF BOMBAY. 



By Surqeon-Lieut.-Col. K. R. Kirtikar, i.m.s., f.l.s. 



Part XVII. 



(With Plate S.) 



(Continued from Vol. X, page 627). 



NERIUM ODORUM— [Solander.) 



Natural Order — Apocynace^e. 



MARATHI-^lr. (Kanher). 



A large erect stout glabrous shrub, containing a cream-coloured, thick, 

 resinous, and sticky juice. Tbe generic name of the plant is derived 

 from Gr. neros, moist, which fully indicates its habitat. It thrives in 

 damp ground, and alongside of flowing rivulets and watercourses. It is 

 a beautiful evergreen, easy of culture and propagation, and flowers freely 

 throughout the year. 



ROOT. — Crooked ; on young roots the corky layer is very thin, and 

 the interior yellow colour of the bark is seen through it ; inner surface 

 yellow. Odour somewhat acrid ; taste acrid and bitter. In the bark of 

 the roots, the medullary rays are very numerous, their being loaded with 

 yellow resinous juice makes them very conspicuous. (Dymock). 



STEM. — 6-8 feet high, woody ; abounding in starch ; pithy in the 

 centre. Young branches show more pith. Wood very porous and 

 abounding in large dotted vessels and well-marked ; medullary rays visible 

 to the naked eye. The laticiferous vessels are numerous, and generally 

 in groups of two, three, or more. (Dymock). 



BARK. — Thick, soft, corky, with a grey surface externally. In 

 young branches it is greenish ; in old yellowish and abounding in starch. 



LEAVES. — Exstipulate ; arranged in whorls of three ; rarely opposite 

 or scattered ; narrow, linear-lane cecolate, 4-6 inches long, thickly 

 coriaceous, acuminate. Margin entire, revolute. Midrib very stout ; 

 main lateral nerves numerous, slender, horizontal, parallel, very close. 

 The under surface, says Brandis, is uneven, and irregularly pitted. The 

 margin narrows as it reaches the petiole. 



Petiole. — Very short. 



FLOWERS. — Hermaphrodite, showy, sweet-scented ; single or 

 double, variously-coloured, as detailed below ; \\ inches in diameter ; 

 salver-shaped. 



