70 INDIAN MEDICINAL PLANTS. 



Chemistry.— 



The constituents of P. Emodi are identical with those of P. Peltatum, 

 Crystalline podophyilotoxin C 15 H 14 5 2H 2 0, when acted on by aqueous alkalis, 

 is converted into the isomeric picropodophyllin. The formula of podophyllic 

 acid is C 15 H 16 7 c There is also a yellow coloring matter C l5 H 10 O 7J which is 

 identical with the quercetin. 



Podophylio-resin has the formula C 12 H 12 4 . 



Podophyllin is as valuable a purgative as the podophyllin obtained from 

 P. peltatim. The action of this resinous mixture is due partly to the 

 podophyilotoxin it contains, and partly to the active podophyllo-resin. Owing 

 to its intensely irritating action internally, even when given in small doses, 

 podophyilotoxin is unsuitable as a medicinal substitute for podophyllin, whilst 

 podophyllo-resin would seem to present no therapeutic advantage as compared 

 with the podophyllin now employed. Picropodophyllin, picropodophyllic acid, 

 and the quercetin are very slightly, if at ail, active as purgatives. Since 

 P. Emodi furnishes more podophyllin than P. peltatum, the Indian plant is of 

 greater value as the source of this resin.— J. Ch. S. T. 1898, p. 209. 



N. 0. NYMPHjEOE^l. 

 53. Nymphcea alba,, Linn, h.f.b.i. i. 114. 



Vern> :— Brimposh, nilofar ; Kamud ; (Kashmir). Pandba- 

 ren Kamal (Bombay). 



Habitat:— Kashmir lake, alt. 5,300 ft. Bombay tanks and 

 wayside still water-courses. 



An aquatic creeper. Root-stock creeping under water. 

 Leaves floating on water-surface, cordate, quite entire, 5-10 in. 

 diam., suborbiculate, lobes contiguous. Flowers a foot or 6 in. 

 above water, white on a green peduncle, expanding at sunrise 

 and closing at sunset. Sepals 4 linear or ovate-oblong ; nerves 

 reticulate. Petals 10, outer linear-oblong, equalling the sepals. 

 Anthers without appendages. Stigmatic rays about 16, with 

 cylindric appendages. Pollen echinate. Seeds minute, numer- 

 ous, buried in a mucilaginous pulp, edible. Fruit, a spongy 

 berry, opening under water. 



Parts used :—The Root-stock, flowers and fruit. 



Uses: — The mucilaginous and somewhat acrid root and 

 stock are administered in some countries for dysentery. Ac- 

 cording to O'Shaughnessy it is astringent and slightly nar- 

 cotic. Its flowers are reputed to be anti-aphrodisiac. An 

 infusion of the flower and fruit is given in diarrhoea and as a 

 diaphoretic. (Stewart). 



