N. O. 0JLEA0E.E. 761 



N. 0. OLEACEJE. 



732. Ja&minum Sambac, Ait., h.f.b.l, hi. 591. 



Syn. : — J. Zambac, Roxb. — 30. 



Sans. — Varshiki. 



Vern. :--- Chamba, mugra, bela (Hind.) ; Mallickaphul, bel 

 ( Beng.) ; Mallippu (Tarn.) ; Mogri, bhtt mogri (Bom.) ; Mullige 

 (Kan). Sapai, mali (Burm.\ 



Habitat: — Much cultivated throughout India. 



A scandent shrub. Branchlets pubescent. Leaves simple, 

 opposite, or sometimes ternate, thinly membranous, varying from 

 l-5in., acute or obtuse, short petioled, ovate, nearly glab- 

 rous, base cuneate or rounded, nerves beneath pubescent 

 or glabrous, primary nerve often tufted in the axils beneath ; 

 secondary nerves distinct; petioles Jin. Cymes lax, terminal, 

 sometimes solitary, about 3-flowered, pubescent, many flowered 

 in cultivation. Bracts 0-J, linear. Flowers white, very fragrant. 

 Calyx-teeth subulate, Jin.", pubescent, in cultivation often nearly 

 glabrous. Corolla-tube Jin., lobes as long as the tube, oblong, 

 acute or obtuse, or in cultivation orbicular. Ripe carpels nearly 

 globose, 1 or 2, |in. diam., black, surrounded by the suberect 

 subulate Calyx- teeth. 



Uses : — " Considered by natives cool and sweet : used as a 

 remedy in cases of insanity, in weakness of sight, and affections 

 of mouth " (Baden-Powell). 



In Goa, the root of the wild variety is used as an emmena- 

 gogue (Dymock). 



The flowers, according to the report of Mr. J. Wood, pos- 

 sess considerable power as a lactifuge ; he speaks of them as 

 effectual in arresting the secretion of milk in the puerperal 

 state, in cases of threatened abscess. For this purpose, about 

 two or three handfuls of the flowers are bruised, and unmois- 

 tened are applied to each breast, and renewed once or twice a 

 day. The secretion is sometimes arrested in twenty-four hours, 

 though this generally requires two or even three days. Mr. 

 Wood speaks of this fact as being well-known at Madras 

 (Ph. hid.). 



96 



