888 Indian Medicinal plants. 



It is used as a tonic and believed to possess expectorant 

 properties (S. Arjun). 



Chemical composition. -The plant contains an alkaloid soluble in ether, 

 which fails to afford any special colour reactions ; its solution is not precipi- 

 tated by chromates. It is not bitter. There is nothing else in the plant of 

 special interest. 



852. Guseuta reflexa, Ttoxb. h.f.b.l, iv. 225 ; 

 Roxb. 150. 



Sans. : — Amaravela. 



Vern. : — Haldi-algusi-lata. Algusi (B.) ; Alagjari (Santal.) ; 

 Nilathari, viradhar, amil, zarbuti (Pb.) ; Bazar names of the 

 seed: — A'kasbel, aftimun, kasus (H. and Pb.) ; Akaspawan, 

 Amarwel (Dec.) ; Akaswel (Guz.) ; Ninnuli Akashwel (Mar.) ; 

 Sitama purgonalu ; Sitamma pogu nulu (Tel.). 



Habitat : — Common throughout India ; abundant in Bengal 

 Plains. 



A leafless, twining parasite, with stout fleshy branches 

 forming dense yellow masses on low and tall trees and shrubs, 

 with greenish w T hite waxy or yellow fragrant, flowers shortly 

 stalked crowded in numerous clusters or racemes, 5-merous. 

 Recemes l-4in. long. Pedicels 0-£in., often verrucose. Bracts 

 2 1 in. Sepals ioin., nearly distinct, ovate. Corolla campanuate, 

 ldeciduouB £--§- by |in., subcylindric, lobes short, triangular, 

 reflexed ; scales remote from the filaments, prominent, emarginate, 

 fimbriate. Stigmas 2, long, acute, wide apart, lanceolate. Styles 

 very stout. Capsule i-|in., fleshy, acute when unripe, circumciss 

 near the base when mature, subquadrate obtuse, tough, fleshy, 

 4-seeded. Kanjilal makes the following remarks :— " The leaf- 

 less character is carried even to the embryo which is destitute 

 of cotyledons. The seed germinates on the ground, but the 

 plant does not seem to derive much nourishment from it, its 

 growth being sustained, for the little while it is obliged to 

 shift for itself, by the fleshy albumen in which the. germ-plant 

 is imbedded in the seed. As soon as the seedling twines itself 

 round a woody plant, it developes several thick sucker-like haus- 

 toria along the surface of contact, which, penetrating the bark of 



