406 INDIAN MEDICINAL PLANTS. 



The pure ash contained (per cent.) 



K 2 



Na 2 CaO 



MgO 



Fe 2 3 



PA 



1. 19-37 



7-60 3073 



119 



4*71 



8-24 



2. 18'85 



7*55 28-92 



0-96 



5-08 



7-87 



S0 3 



Si0 2 



CI. 







1. 4*35 



21'97 



123 







2. 3-91 



25-19 



0-99. 







In composition, 



fenugreek resembles 



Trifolium incamatm 



LXXVIII. pt. II. 1900, p. 364. 



Tr'igonella Foenumgrcecum. 



The crushed seeds yield only 0-14 per cent, of a light brown, neutral, 

 volatile oil, possessing the distinct odour of the seeds. It has the sp.gr. 0'870 

 at 13-5° and [a]o =4-8°. It is readily soluble in absolute and 90 per cent, 

 alcohol , but its solubility in 80 per cent, alcohol is only 1 : 460.— J. S. Ch. I., 

 April 15, 1903, p. 439. 



347. Melilotusparvi flora, Desf., h.f.b.i., ii. 89. 

 Syn. : — Trifolium indicum, Linn, Roxb. 588. 



Sans. : — Vana-methika. 



Vern. ;— Sinjee (Pb ) ; Zir (Sind.) ; Banmethi (H.) 



Habitat : — Western Peninsula, Bengal and U. P. 



An under-shrub, 2-3ft. high, with firm, slender branches and 

 membranous leaves, thinly clothed with adpressed grey hairs. 

 The branches soon turn glabrescent. Stipules minute setaceous. 

 Petioles J-fin. Leaflets always 3, obovate, the end one 1-1J 

 in. long, stalked, the side ones opposite. Racemes congested, 

 6-12-flowered, usually sessile, seldom over an inch long. Calyx 

 T ^-|in., white-canescent ; teeth long, setaceous. Corolla purp- 

 lish-red, twice the Calyx. Pod straight, tetragonous, 6-10- 

 seeded, not torulose, |-1J in. long ; the firm glabrescent valves 

 obtusely keeled. 



Use. — The seeds are said to be useful in bowel complaints 

 and infantile diarrhoea, given as a gruel (Murray). 



348. M. officinalis, Willd., h. f. b. i., ii. 89. 

 Syn. : — Trifolium officinale, Willd. Roxb. 588. 



Vern. :— Aspurk (H.) ; Tireer (Pers.); Bun-piring (B.). 

 Habitat : — Nubra and Ladak. 



