N. 0. CUCURBITACE^I. 609 



one or two loose motions. It is also considered anthelmintic. 

 For external use in chronic rheumatism, it is made into a lini- 

 ment with cumin seed, onion and castor oil. In the Deccan 

 and in Mysore, the root has a repute as a remedy for snake- 

 bite ; it is administered internally, and applied to the bitten 

 part (Dymock and Ph. Ind.). 



555. Zanonia indica, Linn, h.f.b.l, ii. 633. 



Sans. : — Chirpota ; Dirghapatra ; Kuntali ; Tiktaka. 



Verm :— Chirpoti (H.) ; Penar-valli (Mai.) ; Chiraputi (Mar.) ; 

 Penar-Valli(Mal.) 



Habitat : — Assam and East Bengal; Deccan Peninsula; 

 and Malabar Mountains. 



Perennial, climbing herbs. Tendrils simple. Stems stout, 

 cylindrical, semi-woody, grey, glabrous. Leaves large, 3-6in., 

 deciduous, leaving a very prominent circular scar, broadly 

 oval to lanceolate, rounded or cordate at base, somewhat acumi- 

 nate, apiculate, quite entire, glabrous, rather thick ; reticulate 

 venation, rather conspicuous beneath. Flowers greenish-yellow, 

 rather small (female much the larger), on short pedicels. 

 Male panicles 6-12in. long, branched chiefly at base, with 

 flowers in small clusters. Female recames longer, with flowers 

 solitary, distant. Calyx-segments rotundate, concave, glabrous ; 

 petals ovate acuminate obi use, with incurved points. Male 

 flowers: — filament short, broad, spreading. Female flower: — 

 ovary £in., glabrous ; styles rather long ; capsule 1-l^in. or 

 more, cylindrical, rounded at base, truncate, at apex, glabrous, 

 pale yellowish-brown. Seed with wind as long as the fruit, 

 very flat, glabrous, yellow, wing ronnded at the ends (Trimen). 



Uses : — The leaves, beaten up with milk and butter, are ap- 

 plied as a liniment in antispasmodic affections (Rheede). 



The fruits are said to possess very acrid cathartic properties. 

 Hakims assert that the fresh juice is very efficacious as an 

 antidote to the venomous bites of the gecko (S. Arjun). 



The Sinhalese value the plant as a febrifuge (Thwaites). 



In Malabar, a bath made by boiling the leaves in water is 

 used to remove the nervous irritation caused by boils (Dy- 

 mock). 



77 



