N. 0. COMPOSITE. 701 



Habitat : — Throughout the mountainous districts of India ; 

 on the west Himalaya, Khasia Hills, Manipur ; mt. Aboo, in 

 Marwar, and the Western Ghats. 



A tall aromatic shrub-like herb, 2-8 ft. high, hoary pubescent 

 or tomentose. Stems leafy paniculately branched. Lower leaves 

 petioled, 2-4 in, long, ovate in outline, 1-2 pinnatisect, with 

 stipule-like lobes at the base, more or less pubescent above, 

 ashy-grey or white tomentose beneath ; upper leaves often 

 sessile, linear-lanceolate, entire or 3-fid. Heads sessile or shortly 

 pedicelled, ovoid or subglobose, arranged in sub-secund spike- 

 like suberect or horizontal panicled racemes, brownish-yellow. 

 Invol- bracts woolly or glabrate ; outer small, herbaceous, inner 

 mostly scaricus. Outer fern, flowers very slender ; inner 

 hermaphrodite flowers fertile. Achenes minute. The Dehra 

 Dun plant belongs to the form known as A. indica, which 

 has the lower surface of the leaves of an ashy-grey colour. 

 (Duthie). 



Uses: — The Hindus consider it to be a valuable stomachic, 

 deobstruent, and antispasmodic ; they prescribe it in infusion and 

 electuary, in cases of obstructed menses and hysteria. Extern 

 ally, it is used in fomentations, given in skin diseases and foul 

 ulcers as an alterative (Dutt). 



Used as a tonic, anthelmintic, antispasmodic and expectorant, 

 in diseases of children. Expressed juice is applied by native 

 practitioners to the head of young children, for the prevention 

 of convulsions (Watt's Dictionary, Vol. I). 



" Used by the natives in asthma and diseases of the brain 

 also" (London Exhibition). 



Bellew states that in Afghanistan and throughout India, a 

 strong decoction is given as a vermifuge, and a weak one to 

 children in measles. An infusion is given as a tonic. 



" The strong aromatic odor and bitter taste of this plant 

 indicate stomachic and tonic properties. Dr. Wight states that 

 the leaves and tops are administered in nervous and spasmodic 

 affections connected with debility, and also that an infusion of 

 them is used as a fomentation in phagedenic ulceration. Dr. L. 



