N O. VERBBENAOE.fi. 1003 



chettu, pisangi, pisingha, tak-kolapu-chettu, nalla-kupi, eru- 

 pichecha eti-pisi-nika, peunika, eru puchcha (Tel.). Vishama- 

 dhari, Kundali ;Kan) ; Nirvochchi (Mai). 



Habitat : — India and Ceylon, near the sea, from Bombay to 

 Tenasserim. 



A straggling almost scandent evergreen shrub, 3-7ft. Young 

 shoots minutely grey-pubescent. Leaves opposite, rarely ternate, 

 dark green, f-l^in. entire elliptic or ovate, nearly coriaceous, 

 base cuneate young somewhat grey pubescent. Petiole j-jin. 

 long. Flowers showy white, in axillary pedunculate 3-9-fid. 

 cymes. Bracts g in. linear, pedicels f-fin. Calyx grey 

 puberulous or glabrate. Corolla tube fin. long, -|in. broad, 

 pear-shaped, spongy hardly succulent, smooth hardly sulcate. 

 Separating into 4 long woody pyrenes. 



Uses : — Ainslie says the juice of the leaves and root is consider- 

 ed alterative in scrofulous and veneral affections, the dose being a 

 tablespoonful with or without a little castor oil. Rheede speaks 

 of the use of the dried leaves for the same purpose, and of a 

 poultice, of the leaves to resolve buboes ; he also says a bath 

 prepared with them is used in mania, while the root boiled in 

 oil affords a liniment useful in rheumatism. The Malays and 

 Macassars administer the berries or the root to people poisoned 

 by eating unwholesome fish ; the leaves smeared with oil are 

 heated over the fire and applied to recent wounds ; they are 

 also one of the leaves used for preparing the green rice of the 

 Malays. In Bombay the plant has a great reputation as a 

 febrifuge ; the juice of the leaves is used in doses of half an 

 ounce. It is mucilaginous, very bitter, somewhat saline, and 

 with a fragrant, apple-like odour. 



The medicinal properties of C. inerme closely resemble those 

 of Chiretta. The dried leaves have been found to be quite as 

 efficient as the juice of the fresh plant ; they should be dried in 

 the shade to preserve their aroma, and may be administered in 

 decoction with aromatics, or powdered and made into pills. A 

 tincture has also been found to be an efficient preparation. — 

 (Dymock). 



