N. 0. LEGUMINOSiE. 419 



Habitat. — Cultivated in South India and in the Gauges, 

 Doab, and in Bengal. 



A short-lived, wooded tree, attaining 20-3Oft., with virgate 

 terete branches. Bark light brown, smooth. Wood white, 

 soft. Leaves f-lft. long. Leaflets 10-30 pair, oblong, glaucous, 

 1-l^ft. long. Flowers 2-4in., short axillary racemes, 3in. long, 

 red or white. Calyx lin. deep, glabrous, shallowly 2-lipped. 

 Calyx-cup full of honeyed-juice. Pod 10-1 2in. long, or more, 

 -fin. broad, compressed, tetragonous, falcate, firm, not torulose, 

 the sutures much thickened. 



Parts used. — The bark, leaves, flower, and roots. 



Use. — In Bombay, the leaves or flowers are made use of 

 by the Natives, their juice being a popular remedy in nasal 

 catarrh and headache : it is blown up the nostrils and causes 

 a very copious discharge of fluid, relieving the pain and sense 

 of weight in the frontal sinuses. The root of the red-flowered 

 variety, rubbed into a paste with water, is applied in rheuma- 

 tism. From 1 to 2 tolas of the root-juice are given with honey 

 as an expectorant in catarrh. A paste made of the root, with 

 an equal quantity of stramonium root, is applied to painful 

 swellings. The leaves are also said to be aperient (Dymock). 



An infusion of the bark is given in small-pox (T. N. 

 Mukerji). 



The bark is very astringent and is recommended as a tonic 

 by Dr. Bonavia (Ph. Ind.) 



A poultice of the leaves is a popular remedy in Amboyna 

 for bruises. The juice of the flowers is squeezed into the eyes 

 to relieve dimness of vision (Murray). 



The flowers and pods are used in Bombay in curries and 

 fritters. The taste of the pods, when cooked as a vegetable is, 

 somewhat mawkish. Some don't mind the mawkish taste, and 

 eat them largely (K. R. K.). 



363. Astragalus tribuloides, Velile, H. f. b. i., 

 ii. 122. 



Vern. :— Ogai (Pb.). 



Habitat : —Plains of the Punjab. 



