N. 0. CHENoPODlAOKifc. 1007 



tances. The free and combined fatty acids consisted largely of palmitic, 

 oleic, and erucid acids, while the two neutral substances were of phytosterol 

 nature, and gave results on analysis corresponding with the empirical 

 formulae C 31 H 53 2 and C 2S » H 45 and 2 respectively. (J. Ch, I. 31. 5. 1912, 

 p. 501.) 



1045. Spinacia oleracea, Linn., h.f.b.l, v. 6. 



Syn. :— S. tetrandra, Roxb. 718. 



Vern. : — Palak (H.) ; Palang (Beng.) ; Isfanaj Vusaleykiray 

 (Tarn.); Dum-pa-bachchali, mattur bachchali (Tel.); Palak 

 bfaaji (M.). 



Habitat : — Cultivated throughout India. 



Annual deltoid, ovate, acuminate, acutely broadly pinnatifklly 

 lobed, erecth erbs. Leaves attenuate. Flowers dioecious, ebracteate, 

 males in terminal leafless spikes ; females in axillary clusters. 

 Male : — Sepals 4-5, herbaceous, simple. Stamens 4-5, filaments 

 capillary. Female: — perianth sub. globose, 2-4-toothed. Fruit- 

 ing perianth free, 2- spinous. Fruiting enclosing the Utricle, 

 coriaceous, unarmed or with 2-3 dorsal spines. Stigmas long, 

 filiform, connate below. Utricle hard, compressed, adnate to the 

 perianth. Seed vertical, testa thin, albumen floury. Embryo 

 annular. 



Use : — The seeds are laxative and cooling and useful in diffi- 

 cult breathing, inflammation of the liver, and in jaundice. 

 (Taleef Sherif ). They yield a fatty oil. The green plant is be- 

 lieved to be useful in urinary calculi. (Sakharam Arjun.) 



Regarding its chemical composition, the authors of the 



Pharmacog. Ind. write : — 



Chem. comp.— Besides a large quantity of mucilage, spinach contains so 

 large a proportion of nitrates, that the water in which it has been boiled 

 may be used for making touch-paper. The following figures give the mean 

 percentage Composition of three samples of spinach recorded by Konig :— 



Water ... ... ... ... ... 88'47 



Nitrogenous matter ... ... ... ... 3*49 



Fat ... ... ... ... ... 0*58 



Sugar ... ... ... ... ... 010 



Nitrogen-free extractive ... ... ... 4*34 



Fibre ... ... ... ... ... 0*93 



Ash ... ... ... ... ... 2"09 



