216 INDIAN MEDICINAL PLANTS. 



Uses: — It is given in accordance with the ' ! doctrine of 

 signatures" as a remedy for leprosy in the Concan ; it appears 

 to be simply mucilaginous like most of the gums. (Dympck)" 



Its roots are used by the Goanese as the substitute of 

 Althaea. 



191. G. villosa, Willd. h.f.b.l, i. 388. 



Vern : — Gaphni (Kol) ; Tarse kotap (Santal) ; Jalidar 

 kaskusri, thamther (Pb.) ; In zarra, pastuwanne (Pushtu ; 

 Dhoban (Ajmer). Kharmati (Mar). Pade Khado (Gujrat and 

 Porebnnder) ; Luskanu jhad (Cutch). 



Habitat ' — Western and Southern India, extending from 

 Panjab and Sind to Travancore. Gujrat, Porebundar, Kutch. 



A shrub often gregarious. Branches, leaves and inflores- 

 cence densely silky, with long stellate hairs. Leaves not hoary 

 beneath, nearly orbicular, from a cordate base ; 1-4 in. diam., 

 rugose, transverse veins numerous, prominent and parallel, 

 tufts of sikly hairs in the serratures. Secondary nerves not 

 arched. Petiole i-1 in. Base of leaves 5-nerved. Stipules 

 broad, leafy. Flowers dull-yellow, peduncles very short, in 

 compact axillary clusters, sometimes opposite the leaves. Bracts 

 oblong. Sepals oblong or linear-acute, villous, membranous, 

 \ in. long, clothed on both sides with short stellate hairs, out- 

 side also with simple hairs, the tips often with a long-branched 

 and stellate process. Blade of petal thin, twice the length of a 

 claw, oblong, notched, much shorter than the sepals. Fruit 

 globose, size of cherry, with a distinct crustaceous brown rind, 

 with tufts of long stellate hairs ; pulp pleasant. Stones 4, 1-2- 

 seeded. 



The sweet acid fruit is used as dessert by the poor of 

 Porebunder. The juice of fresh bark is used with sugar and 

 water for gonorrhoea and urinary complaints attended with irrita- 

 bility of the bladder. 



Part used : —The root. 



Use : — The root is employed for diarrhoea in Chutia 

 Nagpur (Revd. A. Campbell.) 



