178 



INDIAN MEDICINAL PLANTS. 



Habitat : — Generally distributed over the hotter parts of 

 India and is a weed in waste open ground in Ceylon, 



A perennial herb. Stem 2-4ft, much branched, finely 

 stellate-hairy. Leaves very variable, lj-3in., rotundate, usually 

 deeply palmately cut into 5 lobes, which are again lobed or 

 pinnatifid, serrate, stellately hairy on both sides. Flowers 

 bright pink, on short stout, hairy pedicels, axillary, solitary. 

 Sepals 5, connate below into cap-shaped Calyx. Petals 5, 

 connate and united to tube of stamens. Stamens monadelphous, 

 anthers nearly sessile or 5-celled. Bracts a little shorter than 

 the Calyx. Ovary 5-celled, with one ovule in each. Styles 10. 

 Ripe carpels rounded on back, densely stellate-hairy, set with 

 stiff long spines, with deflexed prongs at the extremeties (Tri- 

 men), An oval glandular pore is situated at base of midrib, 

 beneath, in both U. lobata and U. sinuata. 



Use ; — In Chutia Nagpur, the root is used as an external 

 application for lumbago. 



160. U. repanda, Roxb. h.k.b.l, i. 330. 

 Roxb. 519. 



Syn. : — U. Speciosa, Wall. 



Vern. : — Sikuar (Santal.). 



Habitat : — North- West India, Upper GJangetic plain and 

 the Western Peninsula. 



Shrubby, stellate-hairy. Leaves roundish or somewhat 

 lobed, shortly petioled, rough above, midrib glandular, at the 

 base beneath ; lower 2-2|in. long, roundish, rarely lobed, cordate 

 at the base, repand-serrate, upper lanceolate. Flowers racemose, 

 in alternately leafless clusters. Bracteoles i-f in., suhcoriaceous, 

 exceeding the membranous Calyx ; 5, subulate, connate below 

 into a cnp ; sepals united for half their length ; Corolla pink, 

 twice the length of the bracteoles. Carpels smooth, unarmed. 

 Seed ascending smooth. 



Use : — The root and bark are believed by the Santals to 

 be a cure for hydrophobia (Campbell). 



