N. 0. NYCTAGINE.E. 1055 



1030. Pisonia aculeata, Linn, h.f.b.i., iv. 711. 

 Roxb. 312. 



Vern. : — Baghachura (Beng.) ; ILiti-ankusa (Uriya) ; Karu- 

 indu (Tarn.) ; Kunki-pootri, embudi chettu, konki (Tel.). 



Habitat : — South Concan, and elsewhere in the Deccan 

 Peninsula. 



A large, woody, thorny, straggling or climbing shrub,often 

 forming impenetrable thickets. " Young shoots and inflorescence 

 pubescent armed with sharp axillary, more or less curved 

 thorns" (Brandis). Bark light-brown, thin. Wood light brown, 

 soft, of peculiar structure (Gamble). Trunk very short. Bran- 

 ches subopposite, horizontal. Leaves 2-3in., elliptic obtuse, 

 entire, base cuneate, glabrous. Blade 2-3in. ; petiole i-|in. 

 long. Flowers greenish white, in compact, sometimes paniculate, 

 axillary cymes. Male flower campanulate, pedicelled, 5-toothed. 

 Stamens 7-8. Female flower ovoid, obscurely toothed. Stigma 

 lacerate. Fruit long-pedicelled, i-iin., narrowly oblong or 

 clavate, 5-ribbed, ribs muricate, with several rows of glands 

 (J. D. Hooker). The gland protuberances are viscid, says 

 Brandis. 



Uses : — The bark and the leaves are used as a counter- 

 irritant for swellings and rheumatic pains (T. N. Mukherji). 

 The juice mixed with pepper and other ingredients is given to 

 children suffering from pulmonary complaints (Watt's Diet.). 



1031. P. alba, Spanoghe. H.F.B.I., iv. 711. 



Vern. :— Chinai Salit (Bomb.) 



Ilabitat : — Cultivated in India. 



An evergreen unarmed tree of middle size, 30-40ft , glabrous, 

 except the youngest shoots and inflorescence. Leaves large, pale 

 green or bright greenish yellow, those of the ends of the branches 

 often nearly white, somewhat resembling the lettuce in taste, 

 but is an " indifferent substitute' (Gamble). Eaten in Ceylon 

 by the Singhalese (Trimen) and by the European-Jews of Bom- 

 bay (K. R. K.). The male tree has much darker leaves and 

 not much brown as the lighter leaved are in gardens in coast 

 towns in India, as in Calcutta, Madras, Colombo and Bombay. 



