n. o. tiliacetE. 223 



slender ; stipules subulate. Cymes leaf-opposed. Peduncles 

 short, stout ; bracts lanceolate, subulate ; pedicels very short. 

 Sepals T 3 6in. long, linear-oblong, apiculate. Petals longer 

 than the sepals ; oblong-ovate. Capsules f-f in. long, cylindric, 

 elongate, beaked, glabrous, often curved upwards, generally 

 straight, 4-valved. 



Part used : — The whole plant. 



Uses. — The plant is rubbed down and given as a cooling 

 medicine. Leaves are emollient. The plant has tonic proper- 

 ties as a whole. 



Infusion used as a fever drink (Stewart.) 



Very mucilaginous, mucilage demulcent, and used in 

 Sindh for gonorrhoea (Murray). A decoction of seeds with milk 

 and sugar as a tonic. Dose of powdered plant \ — 1 tola. 



The seeds of Corcliorua fascicularis are mucilaginous, sweet, non-toxic, 

 and edible; those of C. Olitorius, are purgative; those of C. Capsnlaris 

 C. bengalensis, C. acutangulus, C. argntus and C. trilocularis contain fat; and 

 the last three, besides a green flu orescent body, a toxic glucoside, che cor- 

 ehorini of Tunno and W. Friboes. Corchorin is intensely bitter, readily 

 solublo in water and in alcohol, but insoluble in ether, chloroform, and 

 henzene, so that it cannot be isolated by shaking out with the last-named 

 liquids. It is very slightly precipatated by neutral lead acetate, but is 

 thrown down by ammonical lead acetate. It gives a bluish green colour with 

 strong sulphuric acid. It is removed from strong aqueous solutions by means 

 of ammonium sulphate. Corchorin is hydrolysed by boiling with dilute 

 mineral acids, forming a sugar and a decomposition product, which is in- 

 soluble in neutral and acid aqueous solvents but soluble in alcohol. It is 

 very poisonous, being allied to the digitalis glueosides. 



(J. .Ch-I. 30. 4. 1907 pp. 430-431). 



N. 0. LINEM 



199. Linum usitatissimum, Linn. H.F.B.I., 

 i. 410. Roxb. 277. 



Sans, : — Atasi, Masrina, 



Vern. : — Alsi, tisi (H.) ; Tisi masina (B.) ; Alsi-virai (Tarn) 

 Atasi (Tel.); Pesu (Uriya) ; Alasi (Porebundar and Gujrat) : 

 Javas ; (Marathi) Alashi. 



Habitat : — Cultivated throughout India, Ceylon, Western 

 Himalayas. 



