290 INDIAN MEDICINAL PLANTS. 



Parts used : — The seeds, Lark, leaves and fruit. 



c7.se : — " The seeds are given in coughs. The bark, unripe 

 fruit, and leaves are pungent, bitter and purgative, and are 

 considered to have anthelmintic properties. The African Arabs 

 use the pulp of the fruit as a detergent and the bark to poison 

 fish." (Dymock.) 



According to Surgeon Parker of Poona, the seeds are useful 

 in colic (Watt 1 Dictionary, Vol. I.) 



The soft parts of the fruit contain 7 per cent, of the Saponin C 13 H 23 O 10 . 

 J. Ch. S. 1901 A I 648, 



A sample of oil prepared by the natives of Marogoro (German East 

 Africa) from the seeds was of a light yellow colour and had a pleasant nutty 

 taste and smell. It had the following characteristics :— Sp. gr. 0-9173 (15 C C) ; 

 Sapon. Value 195'6 ; Reichert-Meissl Value, 0'55 ; Poleuske Value 0'4 ; iodine 

 Value, 77*2 ; Acid Value 8 5; unsaponifiable, 0*07 percent; Stearic acid content, 

 2-4 per cent. The oil became cloudy at 8-8°C. J. Ch. I. 15th Ma- 1912 p : 442 



251. — Gomphia angustifolia, Vahl. h. f. b. i., 

 i. 525. 



Vern. :— Valermani (Mai); Bokera (Sinhalese). 



Habitat: — Southern provinces of the Western Peninsula. 

 Ceylon, common in low country, upper zone, rare in the 

 dry region. Also on the Malabar coast, Singapore and the 

 Phillippines. 



A small much-branched tree, young parts glabrous. 

 Leaves 2J-5in., distichous, nearly sessile, lanceolate, acute at 

 both ends, finely serrate, glabrous, shining, veins very close 

 and numerous, pellucid, with 2 marginal ones near the edge. 

 Stipules deciduous. Flowers numerous, yellow, about iin., 

 on slender pedicels, in large pyramidal terminal and axillary 

 panicles. Sepals red, oval, acute, glabrous ; petals twice as 

 long as sepals, clawed, obtuse. Stamens 10, filaments very 

 short, anthers large, oblong. Ovary carpels ovoid, smooth. 

 Style stout, very much exceeding Stamens. Ripe carpels 5 (or 

 fewerj, attached near their base to sides of the very large 

 gynophore, surrounded by the persistent sepals, J-fin., ovoid, 

 reniform, purple black, shining. Seed erect, embryo green. 



