490 INDIAN MEDICINAL PLANTS. 



wood in the centre, moderately hard ; alternate, more or less 

 concentric, wavy, broken and anastomosing bands of dark firm 

 tissue, and slightly lighter soft tissue. Leaves rather broad 

 than deep, middle-sized, rigidly sub-coriaceous, deeply cordate, 

 the obtuse lobes reaching \-\ down ; 11-15-nerved ; pubescence 

 grey. Corymbs few-flowered, lateral, sessile, or short peduncled ; 

 bracts minute, deltoid ; pedicels erecto-patent, i-Jin. Calyx- 

 tube f-lin ; limb cordate-ovate, equalling the cylindrical tube. 

 Petals l|-2in. long, an inch or more broad, white, beautifully 

 variegated with red and yellow, glabrous, obovate, clawed, 

 much exserted. Stamens 3-5. Pod f-lin. broad, hard, flat, 

 rather decurved, dehiscent, 10-15-seeded. 

 Farts used : — The bark and root. 



Use.— The Sanskrit writers mention two varieties of this 

 Banhinia — the one with purple or deep, rose-colored flowers, 

 and the other with white, yellow or green. The bark is des- 

 cribed as alterative, tonic and astringent. Useful in scrofula, 

 skin diseases and ulcers (Dutt). The author of the Makhzan, 

 describes the bark as astringent, attenuant and tonic. He says 

 it is used to check diarrhoea, to remove intestinal worms, and 

 prevent the decomposition of the blood and humors ; on this 

 account it is useful in leprosy and scrofula. A gargle made 

 from the bark with the addition of Akakia (extract of Acacia 

 pods) and pomegranate flowers is mentioned as a remedy in 

 salivation and sore-throat, and a decoction of the buds in cough, 

 bleeding piles, hsematuria and menorrhagia (Dymock). 



In the Concan the juice of the fresh bark with the juice of 

 the flowers of Strobilanthes citrata, 10 tolas of each, is given 

 as an expectorant, and the bark is used with ginger as an 

 internal remedy for scrofula. (Dymock.) 



The root in decoction is given in dyspepsia and flatulency ; 

 the flowers with sugar as a gentle laxative ; and the bark, 

 flowers, or root triturated in rice water as a cataplasm to pro- 

 mote suppuration (Watt). The dried buds are used in piles 

 and dysentery. They are considered by natives cool and 

 astringent, and are useful in diarrhoea and worms (Punjab 

 Products.) 



