N. O. ACANTHACE.E. 961 



Habitat :— Sea coast, from Malabar to Ceylon, and from the 

 Simderbuns to Malacca. 



A common evergreen, conspicuous, shrub, gregarious of the 

 tidal forests of India, Burma, Ceylon, the Andamans, often form- 

 ing the under- wood or adventitous roots of the Rhizophora 

 (Mangrove). Stems l-5ft., in clumps little divided, terete, 

 glabrous. Leaves large, 6 by 2|in., oblong elliptic, toothed or 

 pinnatifid, glossy, rigidly coriaceous. Spinous, rigid ; petiole 

 j-in , at times absent. Flowers in spikes, 4-16in., terminal, com- 

 monly solitary, supported by 2 pair of bracteoles, i-^in. long, 

 terminal, sometimes axillary. Calyx fin.; sepals, 2 outer elliptic, 

 rounded, 2 inner, broadly lanceolate, subacute. Corolla 

 pubescent within l£in. long, bright blue. Capsule bright-brown, 

 apiculate, \\ by fin., shining, blunt. Seeds J-iin., testa white, 

 very lax. 



Uses : —In Goa, the leaves which abound in mucilage are used 

 as an emollient fomentation in rheumatism and neuralgia, 

 Ainslie says that Rheede mentions the use of the tender shoots 

 and leaves ground small and soaked in water as an application 

 to snake-bites. Bontius commends its expectorant qualities. It 

 is a plant in great request among the Siamese and Cochin Chin- 

 ese, and is called by the latter Cay-o-ro, who consider it to 

 be cordial and attenuant, and useful in paralysis and asthma. 

 In the Concan, a decoction of the plant with sugarcandy and 



cumin is given in dyspepsia with acid eructations (Dymock). 

 Chemical composition, — The powdered leaves yielded to ether a quantity 

 of fatty matter coloured strongly with chlorophyll and some soft resins. 

 Alcohol removed more resin, an organic acid, and a bitter alkaloid. The 

 alkaloid gave a reddish-brown colour with sulphuric acid, and was precipitat- 

 ed from its solutions by the usual reagents, including the volatile and fixed 

 alkalies. Some soluble saline matter was present in the extracts of the 

 leaves, and contributed largely to the 16'4 per cent, of total ash obtained 

 from the air-dried leaves. (Pharmacogr. Ind., III. 43). 



921. Barleria prionitis, Linn, h.f.b.i., IV. 482 ; 

 Roxb. 470. 



Sans. : — Karuntaka, vajradanti. 



Vern. : — Katsareya (H.) Kantajati(B.); Dasakarantod (Uriya) ; 



Kalsunda, korhanti, vajradanti (Bom.) ; Kanta-shelio (Guz.) ; 

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