1064 Indian medicinal plants. 



Use : — It is largely eaten in Ceylon as a vegetable, especially 

 by mothers to increase the flow of milk ; also used as a wash for 

 the eyes. (Watt.) 



N. 0. CHENOPODIACEiE. 



1041. Chenopodium album, Moq., h.f.b.i., v. 3, 

 Roxb. 260. 



Syn. : — C. viride, Linn. 



Sans : — Vastuk. 



Vern. : — Bathu sag or bathua sak, chanclan betu (B. Bathua, 

 batlm, jansr.g, lnnak (Pb.) ; Bethua, charai, jansag, H.) ; Bhatua, 

 arak' (Santal ; Chakwat, glianen, (Bomb); Jliil (Sind) ; Khuljeh 

 ke baji (Duk) ; Parupu kire (Tarn.) ; Pappu kura (Tel.). 



Eng. : — The white goose-foot. 



Habitat :— Common throughout India. 



Erect or ascending, scentless herbs, mealy or green. Stems 

 l-10ft, rarely slender or decumbent, angled, often striped green, 

 red or purple. Leaves extremely variable in the cultivated 

 forms, 4-6in. long, with petiole sometimes as long or longer ; 

 rhombic, deltoid, or lanceolate, acute or obtuse, entire, toothed 

 or irregularly lobulate, upper narrower, more entire. Clusters in 

 compact or lax panicles ; spikes, which in cultivated forms be- 

 come thyrsoid. Sepals 5, herbaceous (not succulent in fruit). 

 Seeds very vertical. Forms vary from green to red. 



Use :— Considered laxative and recommended for use by 

 Sanskrit writers in the form of pot herb in piles. (U. C Dutt.) 



Chemical investigation of the composition of Chenopodium oil. 



There is a pronounced increase in specific gravity aud decrease in optical 

 rotation after samples have been kept, for a year at the ordinary temperature. 

 For example, in the case of one oil with a specific gravity of 0*9700 and a 

 D= —6*20, at 25°C, the corresponding values after a year were sp. gr. 0*9804 

 and a D= —5*5°. When the oil was kept in a refrigerator these changes were 

 less pronounced. The formation of the glycol produced on hydrating as- 

 caridol with ferrous sulphate has been found to correspond to the 

 same re-arrangement of the molecule which takes place when ascaridol is 

 heated. In addition to this glycol, two other crystalline products were also 

 formed. One of these, termed B-glycol, melted in the anhydrons state at 103° 



