618 INDIAN MEDICINAL PLANTS. 



N. 0. UMBELLIFERiE. 



566. Hydroeotyle asiatiea, Linn, h.f.b.l, ii. 669 ; 

 Roxb. 270. 



Sans. : — Manduka parni. 



Vern. : —Brahma manduki, Khula khudi (H.) ; Tbulkuri 

 (B.^! ; Vallarei (Tarn.) ; Manduka-brummi, Babassa (Tel.) ; 

 Codagam (Mat.), Brahmi ; Karinga (Bomb.); Vallarai (Dec); 

 Von-deloga (Kan.) ; Kutakan, Kodagam (Malay.). 



Eng. : — Asiatic Pennywort. 



Habitat : — Throughout India. Ceylon, waste grassy places 

 a very common weed, from sea-level to the highest elevations. 



Prostrate, perennial herbs. Stems long, prostrate, given off 

 from leaf-axils of a short vertical rootstock, cord like, glabrous, 

 with very long internodes. Leaves J-2Jin. long, several — from 

 the rootstock, 1-2 from each node of the runners, petiole 3-6in., 

 erect glabrous, furrowed above ; stipules short, adnate to petiole, 

 but forming a sheathing base. Blade orbicular, reniform, entire, 

 crenate or lobulate, horizontal, more or less cupped. lj-2in. 

 The rounded basal-lobes often overlapping, glabrous and shining 

 on both sides. Flowers nearly sessile, usually 3 together, at 

 end of short erect pubescent peduncles, 1-3 from the nodes, 

 opposites the leaves ; bracts 2, close beneath umbel, ovate, 

 obtuse ; Calyx-segments ; Petals minute, ovate acute (Trimen) ; 

 obtuse umbricate (C. B. Clarke). Ovary very much compressed, 

 slightly hairy, styles very short, erect. Fruit about iin., ovoid, 

 hard ; pericarp thickened, mericarps with the primary and 

 secondary ribs, very obscure or vein-like. Flowers dark-pink 

 (Trimen). 



Use : — In Sanskrit works, it is described as a useful altera- 

 tive and tonic in diseases of the skin, nervous system and 

 blood (Dutt). 



Ainslie says that an infusion of the leaves with Fenugreek 

 is given to children in bowel complaints and fever. On the 

 Coromandel Coast, the leaves are applied to the parts that have 

 suffered from blows and bruises, 



