12 INDIAN MEDICINAL PLANTS. 



beaked, 20-24 mm. high, 18-24 mm. long from tip to the base, 

 10-12 mm. wide (seen from the side', lateral margin very slightly 

 concave or almost straight, Lateral sepals contiguous with the 

 helmet, obliquely orbicular-quadrate, not clawed, 18-20 mm. 

 long ; lower sepals oblique!} 7 oblong or elliptic — obtuse to 

 acute, 12-15 mm. long. Nectaries glabrous, extinguisher — 

 shaped ; claw erect, or the upper-end more or less leaning- 

 forward, 16-18 mm. long ; hood sub-cylindric, 4-8 mm. long, 

 oblique to almost horizontal, top gibbous posteriorly, honey- 

 gland occupying the gibbosity or the whole top, lip extremely 

 short, crenulate, very broad. Filaments glabrous, 8 mm. long, 

 narrowly winged to or beyond the middle, wings gradually 

 alternated. Carpels 5, subcontiguous in the flower, but soon 

 diverging, narrowly oblong, gradually passing into the short 

 style, quite glabrous. Follicles subcontiguous or somewhat 

 diverging in the upper part, oblong, obliquely truncate, 2*5-3 

 cm. long, 5-6 mm. broad, loosely reticulate. Seeds blackish, 

 obovoid, about 3 mm. long, round in cross-section, obscurely 

 winged along the rhaphe, transversely lamellate, lamella? dark, 

 undulate. 



Uses : — Nothing definite is as yet known of the medicinal 

 properties of this root. It is believed to be non-poisonous as 

 well as tonic and antiperiodic. 



It has also earned some repute in the treatment of cholera 

 (Sakharam Arjun). 



From the roots of this, an alkaloid, named Palmatisine has been isolated 

 at the Imperial Institute, which crystallises well, and in some respects 

 resembles atisine. J. Ch. S. 1905T, 1655. 



14. A.ferox, Wall, H. F. br. i., i. 28. 



Habitat : — Temperate, sub-Alpine Himalaya, from Sikkim to 

 Garhwal. 



Sanskrit : — Visha (Poison; ; Vatsanabha (resembling the navel 

 of children). 



Vern. : — Bish, bachnak, mitha zahar ; Singyabish ; telya- 

 bish (PL); Kat bish, Mitha bish, Sringibish, (Beng.) ; Bachnag 

 (Mar.); Vashanavi (Tarn.); Vasanabhi, nabhi (Teh); Vatsanabhi 

 (Mai.) ; Vasanabhi (KanA Shingadio-Vachnng (Gruz.j. 



