N. O. VEKBENACE.'fc. 993 



Chemical com position.— The root-bark of this plant afforded a yellowish- 

 brown powder giving an orange-brown tincture with alcohol. The tincture 

 when evaporated left a reddish coloured tasteless resin and some extractive 

 matter. The resin was soluble in ether and in alkaline liquors; from the 

 latter solution it was precipitated in greyish-brown nocks by acids. Warmed 

 with soda, the resin evolved an odour of lemon similar to that of Kamala resin; 

 heated with sulphuric acid a transient purple colour was developed and a 

 fragrant odour evolved. It showed no disposition to crystallize. The watery 

 solution of the alcoholic extract had a sweetish taste in small quantities and 

 was nauseous in larger quantities. It contained a bitterish amorphous alka- 

 loid, a substance reducing Fehling's solution, and an astringent body, striking 

 a green colour with ferric chloride, but giving no precipitates with gelatine. 

 The alkaloid gave no distinct colour reactions with the strong mineral acids. 



952, P. tomentosa, Willd., h.fb.i, iv. 576. 



Vern. : — Naguru-Chettu (Tel.) ; Pedanganeree, Kollay-Cotlay 

 wellag (Tarn.). 



Habitat: — Deccan peninsula and Ceylon, frequent ; from the 

 Oircars and Central Provinces southward. 



A tree, often 50ft. ; branchlets densely stellate-woolly. 

 Leaves 6 by 3|in., base rounded or subcordate, coriaceous, 

 minutely glandular scabrous above, nerves 7 pair ; petiole lin. 

 Corymbs Jin. diam., often sessile, upper branches (or nearly 

 all) alternate ; bracts^ in., linear. Calyx Aim, stellately 

 woolly Corolla J-J in. ,2 lipped, hairy in the throat, greenish- 

 yellow. Drupe gin. diam., deciduously haiiy, ovoid, 3-1- 

 seeded. 



An aromatic oil is obtained from the root, and used as 

 a remedy in disorders of the stomach (Trimen). 



953. P. latifolia, Roxb. 



Var. — Mueronata Roxb., h.f.b.i. iv., 578 ; Poxb. 485. 



Vern. : — Bakar, bakarcha, basota agnium (Hind.); Agniii 

 (Kumaun) ; Ban, khar, gian (Pb.). 



Habitat : — N. India, from Kumaon to Bhotan and the 

 Khasia Hills., also common in Bengal Plains. 



Uses :— Dr. P. S. Mootooswamy states that the leaves are diu- 

 retic, and are given internally and applied externally in dropsy. 

 An infusion ol 10 drachms of the leaves and 2 drachms of cori- 

 ander in ten ounces of boiling water has been used by him with 

 advantage in acute dropsy. 

 125 



