N. O. MENISFKKMACE/E. : Di 



the base of the Himalaya to Malabar and Pegu. (Absent in the 

 Eastern Peninsula), Ceylon. 



A small, much-branched, straggling climber. Branches 

 long, slender, twining, striate, hairy-pubescent, Leaves 1-1 J in., 

 deltoid-ovate, very obtuse, apiculate or mucronate, tapering or 

 truncate at base, "almost entirely glabrous above (save when 

 young), slightly hairy on veins beneath, ciliate at margin, 3-5- 

 veined at base, Petiole \ in., hairy; Male fl. :— in small cymose 

 panicles on very slender, axillary peduncles shorter than the 

 leaves, bracts subulate, hairy. Female fl. —2 or 3 together in 

 axillary clusters ; Sepals villous, outside petals, bifid, lobed 

 at sides, Male fl. :— Stamens with filaments hairy at base. 

 Female fl. :— -Carpels smooth. Drupes (Ripe carpels; small, 

 black-purple, J in., endocarp bony, horse-shoe-shaped or rather 

 annular, with the centre perforated, sharply keeled along the 

 back, the sides with strong transverse ridges. 



Parts used : — The root and leaves. . 



Uses: — -" The juice of the leaves, mixed with water, has the 

 property of coagulating into a green jelly-like substance, which 

 is taken internally, sweetened with sugar, as cure for gonorrhoea. 

 Roxburgh says — " A decoction of the fresh roots, with a few 

 heads of pepper, in goats' milk, is administered for rheumatic 

 and old venereal pains; half a pint every morning is the dose< 

 Tt is reckoned heating, laxative, and sudorific." 



"Jn the Concan, the roots rubbed with Bonduc nuts are 

 administered as a cure for belly-ache in children ; and in bilious 

 dyspepsia, they are given in 6 massa doses, with ginger and 

 sugar." (Dymock.) 



In Sind, the root and leaves are used in headache and neural- 

 gic pains. (Murray.) 



The root is said to be alterative and a good substitute for 

 Sarsaparilla. 



According to the Pharmacopoeia of India, this possesses the 

 bitterness, and probably the tonic properties, olgulancha. (Tinos- 

 pora cord i folia), 



"This is a common hedge-plant in the Konkan, where it is 



