N. 0. EUPHORBIACEiE. 1143 



Habitat : — Throughout India, in the plains and low hills, 

 from Kumaon to Assam and southward to Travancore. 



A perennial herb, often woody below, with a long tap-root 

 and numerous, elongated, slender, prostrate or ascending, 

 slightly-branched, compressed, glabrous stems. Leaves 

 numerous, small, J-lin., on very short petioles, closely placed 

 and often overlapping, linear-oblong, obtuse, apiculate ; 

 stipules peltate, sagittate, brown, scarious. Flowers normally 

 solitary on slender solitary pedicels ; females larger ; sepals 

 oblong, obtuse ; stamens 3, distinct ; styles short, bifid. Fruit 

 very small, under |-in., on somewhat enlarged sepals, globose, 

 faintly 3-lobed, usually tubercled. (Trimen). Seeds minute, 

 trigonous, rounded on the back, finely tubercled, dark-brown. 



Var. :—Oblongifolia. — Stem erect, diffusely branched. 

 Leaves J-fin. long, elliptic-oblong, sub-acute ; female pedicels 

 J-fin. Dekkan Peninsula and Ceylon. (J. D. Hooker.) A very 

 variable plant in habit. 



Uses:— The natives use the fresh leaves, flowers and fruit, 

 with cumin seeds and sugar, of each equal parts made into an 

 electuary, for the cure of gonorrhoea, a teaspoonful is given 

 twice a day. The fresh leaves, bruised and mixed with butter 

 milk, make a wash to cure the itch in children. (Roxburgh). 



The root is used in Chutia Nagpur as an external applica- 

 tion for mammary abscess. (Campbell.) 



1134. P. Niruri, Linn., h.f.b.i., v. 298; Roxb. 

 680. 



Sans. : — Bhudhatri, Bahupatri, Amrita-Amlika, Shina. 



Vern. : — Bhuin-anvalah (Hind, and Bee); Kizhkay-nelli 

 (Tarn.) ; Nela-usirika (Tel.) ; Kizha-nelli (Mai.) ; Kiranelli-gicla 

 (Kan.); Miziphiyu (Burm.); Bhui avali (Bom.); Bhuiaola (Uriya); 

 Niruri (Sind). 



Habitat : —Throughout the hotter parts of India ; from the 

 Punjab to Assam ; and southward to Travancore. A reddish 

 petioled variety found wild and common in the Thana district. 

 (K. R. K.) 



