N. 0. COMPOSITE. 699 



says J. D. Hooker, " one of the most minute fruits of any flower- 

 ing plants "). Further, says Hooker, though usually described 

 as annual, some specimens both from the plains of India and 

 Tibet have woody stocks. 



Use : — The branches appear to be officinal in the Punjab. 

 The smoke is considered good for burns, and the infusion is 

 given as a purgative (Stewart). 



663. A. maritima, Linn, h.f.b.i., hi. 323. 



Vern. : — Kiramani owa (Bomb.) ; Tarkh (Pushtoo). 

 Arab, and Vers. : — Sheeh ; Sariqun ; Afsantin-ul-bahr. 

 Habitat : — Western Himalaya, from Kashmir to Kumaon. 



Hoary or tomentose, shrubby below. Rootstocks woody, 

 branched, stems erect or ascending, much branched from the 

 bases. 6-18in., strict, woody or wiry. Leaves ovate, 2-pinnatisect ; 

 J-2in., often quite white, with very many segments; segments 

 small, spreading, linear obtuse ; upper simple linear. Heads 

 3-8 fid. ovoid or oblong suberect in spicate fascicles, often, 

 reddish, crowded and bracteolate by a small linear or almost 

 setaceous leaf. Bracts linear oblong, outer herbaceous tomentose, 

 inner scarious, acute, glabrous. 



Use : — In Bombay, the Hakims prescribe it in doses of 2 to 

 3 derhems as an anthelmintic, and also deobstruent and stomac- 

 hic tonic. In the form of a poultice, they use it to relieve the 

 pain caused by the bites of scorpions and other venomous reptiless 

 (Dymock). 



" Useful in gleet " (Surg. Masani in Watt's Diet., Vol. 1). 



Officinal in both Indian and British Pharmacopoeias ; used 

 as an anthelmintic. According to Dr. Von Schrceder, it is 

 not poisonous to ascarides as was formerly thought, but 

 merely drives them to the large intestine whence they can be 

 removed. 



It is indigenous to Southern Afghanistan and Baluchistan, 

 and is much used as an antiperiodic. An infusion (and also 

 decoction, of the fresh plant has been very successfully used 



