604 INDIAN MEDICINAL PLANTS. 



petals beneath rigid, almost prickly. Flowers large, monoecious, 

 all solitary ; peduncles obtusely angled. Male peduncle 4in., 

 or more. Female peduncle ljin-, strongly 5-8 ridged, woody and 

 with intervening deep grooves, usually enlarging next the fruit. 

 Corolla yellow, 3-4in. Fruit fleshy, large, round, mostly yellow 

 to orange, smooth, the flesh not hardening ; hollow interior of 

 the fruit traversed by coarse and separate soft or pulpy threads. 

 Seeds oblong or ovoid with a tip, margin slightly winged, raised. 

 Uses : — The seeds are supposed to possess anthelmintic 

 properties. The Indian Pharmacopoeia advocates trials of these 

 seeds being made. 



The leaves of this plant are used as external applications 

 for burns (Atkinson). 



" The seeds are largely used for flavoring certain prepara- 

 tions of Indian hemp, and the root for a nefarious purpose, viz. 

 to make the preparation more potent." (Watt). 



The husks contain a Xylem, as Xylose crystals have been isolated from 

 the syrup obtained after the husks had been hydrolysed with sulphuric acid. 

 A galactan is also present, as the mother liquors from the Xylose crystals 

 yield mucic acid when oxidised.— J. Ch. S. Abs. 1907, p. 806. 



The oil has been examined by Poda (1898), Graham (1901) and others, and 

 the constants do not differ widely from those found in the oil expressed in 

 India. 



Specific gravity at 15°, 0*923 to 0'928 ; solidifying point,— 16°; saponifica- 

 tion value, 1887 to 195*7 ; iodine value, 1210 to 130*7 ; Reichert-Meissl value, 

 0"43 to 0*52 ; refractive index at 25°, 70*2 to 72*5 ; insoluble fatty acids and un- 

 saponifiable, 94*7 to 96 2 per cent., melting at 28*4° to 32°. Power and Salway 

 (1910) determined the composition as glycerides to be ; linolic acid 45 per 

 cent., oleic acid 25 per cent., palmitic and stearic acids 30 per cent., and a 

 phytosterol. 



The cold drawn oil and the seeds are used for edible purposes ; the lower 

 qualities of pumpkin seed oil serve as a burning oil. (Agricultural Ledger 

 1911-12). 



549. Bryonia laciniosa, Linn, h.f.b.i., it. 622 ; 

 Roxb. 703. 



Vern. : — Gargoo-naroo (H.) ; Mala (B.) ; Kardaleche-dole, 

 Sivalinga, popti, kandon ;Bomb.) ; Nehoemaka (Mai.) ; Linga- 

 donda (Tel.). 



Habitat : — From the Himalaya throughout India. 



