928 INDIAN MEDICINAL PLANTS. 



x\n annual herb, 4-10in. high, brittle, slender, glandularly 

 villous or glabrate. Stem sometimes simple ; with all the 

 flowers solitary in the axils of large leaves, at others branched, 

 the branches running out into leafy racemes. Leaves 1-1J 

 (rarely 2J)in. long, membranous, obtuse, ovate, crenate-serrate, 

 petiole i-fin. Flowers shortly pedicelled unilateral, all axillary 

 and solitary or 2-nate, or in lax, leafy, slender spikes or 

 racemes. Calyx shorter than the ovate leafy bracts, iin., 

 lobes recurved. Corolla twice as long as the Calyx, sparsely 

 hairy, yellow ; ovary pubescent. Capsule hairy above the 

 middle. 



Use : — The juice is given in chronic bronchitis, and mixed 

 with that of the coriander, is applied to skin eruptions. The 

 plant has a faint aromatic odor, and a slightly bitter taste 

 (Dymock). 



886. Stemodia viscosa, Boxb. h.f.b.i., iv. 265 ; 

 Roxb. 489. 



Vern. :— Nnkachuni (B.) ; Boda-sarum, gunta kaminam 

 (Tel.). 



Habitat : — From Central India and the Sone river through- 

 out the Deccan. 



An erect annual herb, viscidly pubescent, branched from f 

 the base, 6-18in. high, aromatic. Stem angular. Leaves J-2in. 

 rarely ovate, sessile, oblong, base cordate serrulate, sometimes 

 shortend, sometimes very small throughout the plant. Flowers 

 pedicelled, axillary, and in terminal racemes, very numerous, 

 nearly Jin. long, 2-bracteate. Bracts shorter than the pedicels ; 

 pedicels equalling or exceeding the Calyx. Corolla twice as long 

 as the Calyx. Sepals lanceolate, acute, half as long as the violet 

 Corolla. Anther-cells all polleniferous. Capsule i-in|-. long, 

 equalling the Calyx, acuminate. Seeds ellipsoid, terete, black, 

 or, brown, most minute. 



Use : — The dried plant, which is slightly fragrant and 

 mucilaginous, is used by the natives of Bengal in infusion as 

 a demulcent (Irvine). 



