170 INDIAN MEDICINAL PLANTS. 



Habitat : — Throughout the hotter parts of India and 

 Ceylon. 



An erect, much-branched undershrub ; stems slender, 

 rough, with minute stellate hairs, often with small, recurved 

 prickles at the nodes below the petioles. Leaves 1-1 J in., oval or 

 oblong, obtuse, coarsely crenate-serrate, glabrous above, finely 

 stellate-pubescent beneath. Petiole |-§ in., stellate-pubescent. 

 Flowers white, \ in., pedicels f-f in., slender, jointed near top. 

 Calyx hairy, segments short, triangular, acute ; ripe carpels 5, 

 with 2 long, erect, rough scales, equalling the Calyx. Seeds 

 solitary. Radicle superior. 



Parts used : — -The leaves and root. 



Uses : — The leaves are demulcent and refrigerant, and are 

 useful in some cases of gonorrhoea, gleet and scalding urine. 



The decoction of the root-bark and root is used as a 

 demulcent in irritability of the bladder and in gonorrhoea, says 

 J. Indraji. 



The root acts as a gentle tonic and diaphoretic, and is 

 employed in mild cases of debility and fever. 



The leaves are bruised in water, strained through cloth 

 and administered in the form of a draught ; the root is used in 

 decoction, prepared in a similar manner to that of S. caprini- 

 folia (Moodeen Sheriff). 



150. S. eaprinifolia, Linn., h.f.b.i., I. 323. 



Syn. : — S. acuta, Burm. S. lanceolata, Roxb. 517. 



Sans. : — Bala Phanijivika (J. Indraji). 



Vern. :— Kareta (B. and H.) ; Vishaboddee (Tel.); Bariaca 

 kareta (Hind.); Pila barela, koreta, bon-methi (Beng.) ; Isbadi, 

 Isarbadi (Dec.) ; Bala, jangli-methi (Bomb.), Tupkaria, tukati, 

 chikana pata (Mar.) ; jungli methi (Guz.) ; Maloconni (Malay.); 

 Vata tirippi, malaitangi, mayir-manikkam, visha-boddi, chiti- 

 mutti, mutu-vapulogum (Tam.) 



Habitat : — Throughout the hotter parts of India and Ceylon. 



A perennial undershrub, generally distributed throughout 



the hotter parts of India. Leaves nearly glabrous, narrow, 



