896 INDIAN MEDICINAL PLANTS. 



Habitat; — Generally cultivated in India. 



A prickly, herbaceous annual, 2-8ft. ; sometimes nearly un- 

 armed. Leaves 3-6 by 2-4in., ovate, sinuate or lobed, stellately 

 woolly beneath, prickly. Petiole lin., peduncles mostly extra- 

 axillary, often paired, one becoming a perfect flower, the other 

 a short raceme of male flowers ; or the raceme may be considered 

 sessile with the lowest flower only perfect. Calyx-lobes lanceo- 

 late, in flower J-^in, elliptic or oblong-linear. Corolla blue, l-ljin. 

 diam., shortly lobed, hairy on the plaits without. Style stellately 

 pubescent, or glabrous. Berry l-9in., glabrous, exceeding the 

 Calyx-lobes in cultivation, ellipsoid or elongate white, yellow, 

 dark-purple, crimson or white, with tooth crimson, vertical stripes. 

 Calyx-lobes fleshy and enlarged, in fruit often prickly. Fruit 

 luscious, edible. 



Many distinct forms or races are recognized according to the shape or 

 colour of the fruit. The plant is more or less prickly according to the nature 

 of the soil. In rich garden soil the prickles almost or entirely disappear. 

 When cultivated as a field crop it becomes rather prickly, and very much so as 

 an escape, under which conditions the peduncles bear 3-4 small and usually 

 roundish fruits. Prain mentions two varieties ; 1. Esculenta (S. longum, 

 Roxb.), a stout prickly herb with the fruit always cylindrical, and, according 

 to Roxburgh, a distinct species ; and 2. Insana (S] insanum, Roxb.) which is 

 a very prickly herb found in a semi-wild state near villages. Its fruit is quite 

 round, and the fruiting peduncles usually bear more than one (Duthie.) 



Parts used : — The leaves and seeds. 



Use : — The seeds are used as a stimulant and the leaves as 

 a narcotic (Atkinson.) The seeds are apt to lead to dyspepsia 

 and constipation (Stewart). 



860. 8. xanthocarpum, Schrad. and Wendl. 

 H.F.B.I., iv. 236. 



Syn:~-S. Jacquini, Willd. Roxb. 191. 



Sans : — Kanta-kari, nidigdhika. 



Vern. : — Katila, katai (Hind.); Kantakari (Beng.) ; Warumba, 

 mahori (Pb.) ; Chuudun-ghatrie, kandan-kattiri (Tarn.) ; Van- 

 Nellagulla (Kan.) kuda (Tel.); Bhuringni (Bom.); Kandui 

 (Chipat) (Pb.) ; Rat-kat-Janum (Chutia Nagpur). 



Habitat :— Common throughout India ; from the Punjab and 

 Assam to Ceylon and Malacca. 



