886 INDIAN MEDICINAL PLANTS. 



Pedicels i-lin. Sepals Jin., elliptic, obtuse, glabrous or nearly 

 so, with or without a mucro. Corolla widely funnel-shaped, 

 glabrous, middle-sized, purplish. Capsule i-fin., glabrous. Seed 

 subtrigonous, dark-brown. 



Use :— The root possesses cathartic properties and is some- 

 times used by the Sindhis as jalap (Murray). 



It contains convolvulin. 



850. Evolvulus alsinoidies, Linn, h.f.b.l, iv. 

 220 ; Roxb. 276. 



Sans. : — Vishnugandhi. 



Vern. : — Sankhpushpi (Pb.) ; Shankhaveli (Bomb.) ; Vistnoo- 

 krandie (Tarn.) ; Vistna-clancli (Malayalam) ; Vistnoo-krandum 

 (Tel.). 



Habitat : — Very common throughout India ; rare in very 

 damp regions. 



A much-branched diffuse perennial herb ; annual branches 

 many, spreading from a short woody root-stock, wiry, more or 

 less pilose or sometimes almost glabrous. Leaves variable, 

 sessile or nearly so, ^-lin. long, lanceolate to ovate, obtuse, 

 mucronate, acute at the base, densely clothed with appressed 

 white or fulvous silky pubescence. Flowers blue or white, on 

 1-3-flowered filiform peduncle ; bract small, linear, hirsute, 

 persistent, pedicels filiform. Calyx densely silky ; segments £in. 

 long, lanceolate, acute. Corolla subrotate, §in. long. Capsule 

 i sin, in diam., 4-valved and usually 4-seeded. (Duthie.) 



Parts used : — Leaves, stalks and roots. 



Use : — In the Vedic period, it was believed to possess the 

 power of promoting conception. The Mahomedan physicians 

 believe that this plant has the power to strengthen the brain 

 and memory (Dymock). 



It is used as a febrifuge with cunim and milk also as an 

 alterative and with oil to promote the growth of the hair 

 (Rheede). 



The leaves, stalks, and roots are all used in medicine by the 

 Tamools, and are supposed to possess virtues in certain bowel 

 affections. They are prescribed in infusion in the quantity of 



