754 INDIAN MEDICINAL PLANTS. 



The following physical and chemical characters were obtained of the fat : 

 Specific gravity at 100°, 0'9129 ; acid value, 45*5 ; saponification value, 213*9 ; 

 Reichert-Meissl value, 10*6 ; titration number of insoluble volatile acids, 

 ■jo- KOH 68 ; iodine value, 66*5 ; unsaponifiable matter, 1"56. ButyroTrefrac- 

 tometer at 25° C, Degrees 73-5; at *0°, 67. Fatty acids: per cent. 89*4; 

 melting point, 35° ; iodine value, 68*11 ; neutralisation value, 20206. Mean 

 molecular weight, 277 "6. (A. K. Menon.) 



725 — M. hexandra, Roxb., h.f.b.l, hi. 549 ; 

 Roxb. 318. 



Syn. : — M. indica, A. Do. 



Sans. : — Rajadani. 



Vern. : — Khirni 'H.) ; Kbirkhejur (B.) ; Ranjana, raini (M.) 

 Rajan ; Kherni (Bomb.) ; Palla (Tarn.). 



Habitat: — Deccan Peninsula, extending North to Guzerat, 

 Banda and the Circars. 



A large or small, evergreen tree, sometimes shrub only, often 

 gregarious. Trunk erect, the branches forming a large shady 

 head. Bark grey, smooth, when young, often studded 

 with branchlets and clusters of leaves, which degenerate 

 into hard, conical, thorn-like protuberances. Wood red, very 

 hard, close and even-grained ; in Ceylon, dark, vinous-red, 

 purplish-black (Brown), (Gamble). Leaves wholly glabrous, 

 shining, generally crowded at the ends of branchlets, ovate- 

 oblong, obtuse, emarginate, 2-4in. long, lf-2in. broad, base 

 cuneate or rhomboid, coriaceous, nerves obscure. Petiole 

 J-f in., pedicels 2-5 together, nearly glabrous, i-fin., clusters sub- 

 terminal and along the branches, often dense. Flowers £in. 

 across, white or pale-yellow. Calyx-lobes 6, i-Jin., elliptic, 

 subacute, obscurely tomentose, or nearly glabrous. Corolla £in. 

 long. Stamens 6-8, anthers acute, as long as the filaments. 

 Sumi nodes 6-8, serrate or lobed, glabrous, frequently bifid. 

 Ovary 1 2-celled, hairy. Berry Jin. long., £in. broad. 1-some- 

 times, 2- seeded ; yellow when ripe, edible, rather sticky. Seeds 

 yield an oil, says Gamble. 



Uses: — The bark is used medicinally and is exactly similar 

 to that of M. elengi. " The bark is much sought after for 

 medicinal purposes and trees are often, greatly injured thereby." 

 (Duthie). 



