N. 0. ACANTHACE.E. 963 



made by boiling the leaves and stems with sweet oil until all 

 the water has been driven off, is used as a cleansing application 

 to wounds (Dymock). A tooth paste made of the astringent 

 leaves and common salt is used to strengthen the gums and in 

 tooth-ache due to caries (Sakharam Arjun). Used in syphilitic 

 affections as an alterative (Dr. Stewart, Cuttack). Useful in 

 coughs and infantile diarrhoea (Dr. Thompson, Madras). The 

 whole plant and especially the root, is much used as a diuretic 

 and tonic medicine in Ceylon (Trimen). 



922. B. noctiflora, Linn., h.f.b.l, iv. 484. 



Habitat : — Neilgherry Mts., Ootacamund. 



A small, very prickly undershrub ; branches pubescent up- 

 wards. Leaves j by i in., obtuse or acute, grey pubescent at first ; 

 petiole hardly any. Bracteoles £-f i n > with simple spines or 

 denticulate near the base. Flowers axillary solitary, 2 outer sepals 

 t by i-Jin., large ovate acute spinous-clentate sparsely pubescent, 

 corolla tube 1 i by |in., elongate narrowly cylindric, pubescent 

 without, lobes -§- in., round-ovated. Capsule fin., 4-seeded. 



Use. ' — Dr. Mootooswamy says that in Tanjore a decoction of 

 this plant is used as an adjunct to, and substitute for, human 

 milk. 



923. B. eristata, Linn., h.f.b.l, iv. 488. 



%??. : — B. dichotoma, Roxb. 471. 

 Sans. : — Jhinti. 



Vern. : — Jhanti and Sada-jati (B.) ; Jbinli (Assam.) ; Tadrelu 

 (Bazar name, bansa. siyah) (Pb.) ; Gorp-jiba, kala bansa N-.W. 

 P.) ; Koileka (Uriya.) 



Habitat. — N.-W. Himalaya, Sikkim, Khasia, Burma, Central 

 India, Nilgiri. Common in Indian gardens ; often wild in and 

 near Bombay and the Thana District (K. R K.) 



A small, perennial, erect or diffuse undershrub. Branches ad- 

 pressedly yellow, hairy. Leaves oblong or elliptic, acute, yellow, 

 hairy beneath, 3-4 by lin. Petiole i-|in. Spikes ovate, often 

 compressed, dense, bracteoles i-fin., linear-lanceolate, toothed. 

 Outer sepals fin., toothed, softly hairy, glabrous, subspinescent. 



