INDIAN MEDICINAL PLANTS. 



of insect^ is used as a remedy for coughs. Ph. J. 27th Decem- 

 ber, 1884. 



240. Feronia elephantum, Gorrea, h.f.b.l, 

 i. 516, Eoxb. 



Sans, : — Kapitha, kapi-priya. 



Vera. : — Kaith-bilin, kat-bel 3 kavitlia (EL); Kath-bel B.j; 

 Kainta, kouch-bel (Santal.); Koeta (Uriya) ; Katori, kavatha 

 (Sind.); Kawat, kavith (Mar.) ; Kotha, kavit (Guz.j ; Vilam, 



vallanga, vela, kavit, kaist (Tarn.); Velaga, elaka, yellanga, 

 kapitr (Tel,); Bilwar, byala da nannu, belada, bel (Kan.); 

 Vilam (Mai.) ; Diwal (Sinhalese),; Vila, villate, Meladik-kuruntu 



Tamil v Ceylon. 



Habitat : — Throughout India in dry situations Java and 



Ceylon, very common in the dry region. 



A large glabrous, deciduous tree, armed with strong 

 straight axillary thorns. Bark dark or nearly black. Wood 

 yellowish or greenish-white, hard : pores small or moderate-sized, 

 ringed, subdivided or in small patches, often filled with resin. 

 Medullary rays short, white, prominent, moderately broad. 

 Annual rings marked by a white line, and the fewer pores of 

 the autumn wood (Gamble). The tree yields a gum similar to 

 gum arabic. Leaves alternate, imparipinnate ; leaflets opposite 

 1-4 pair, cuneate or obovate, crenate at tip ; common petiole 

 often narrow winged. Flowers dull red, generally unisexual, 

 in lax panicles, male and bisexual flowers frequently on the 

 same inflorescence. Stamens 10-12, filaments short, subulate, 

 from a broad villous base. Fruit globose, gray, covered with 

 brownish fluff, in small chaff-like pieces, rough, 2-3in. diain. 

 (often more especially in the Ceylon fruit upto 4 in. K. R. K.), 

 rind hard, woody. Seeds numerous, oblong, embedded in fleshy 

 edible acid, aromatic pulp. Flowers (from February to April), 

 pale green, stained with red purple. Anthers dark red. 



Parts used : — The fruit, gum, leaves, bark and pulp. 



Uses : — The fruit is aromatic and used as a stomachic and 

 stimulant in diseases of children. The gum, resembling gum- 

 arabic, acts as a demulcent in bowel affections. " The unripe 



