1210 INDIAN MEDICINAL PLANTS. 



N. 0. MYRICACEiE. 



1196. Myrica Nagi, Thunb., h.f.b.l, v. 597. 



Syn : — Myrica sapida, Wall. M. integrifolia, Roxb. 765. 



Sans. : — Katpbala, kaidaryama. 



Verri. :— Kaiph&l (B., H., Sind. Pb. and M.); Ding solir 

 (Khasia) ; Kobusi (Nep.) ; Kari-pbal (Gnz.) ; Maru dampattai 

 (Tarn.) ; Kaidaryamu (Tel.). 



Habitat : — Sub-tropical Himalaya, from the Ravi eastwards. 

 The Khasia Mts., Sylhet and southwards to Singapore. 



A small, aromatic, nearly glabrous, evergreen tree. Leaves 

 crowded towards ends of branches, lanceolate, 3-5in., acute or 

 obtuse, entire, the lower pale or rust-coloured, minutely gland- 

 dotted, aromatic. Stalks short, pubescent ; the leaves of the 

 young shoots sometimes 5-8in., and toothed. Bark grey, a 

 brownish-grey, roughly with deep vertical wrinkles. Wood 

 purplish-grey, hard, close-grained, apt to warp. Flowers 

 minute, nni-sexual, glandular, the male and female on different 

 trees. Male flowers in catkins, ^-lin., long, solitary in the leaf 

 axils or sessile on common, drooping, axillary stalk, l-3in. long ; 

 bracts orbicular, often with 2-3 smaller ones. Perianth none. 

 Stamens 3-6, filaments free except at the bases. Female 

 flowers in axillary, erect spikes, |-lin. long ; bracts 2-4; perianth 

 none ; ovary 1-celled ; style-arms 2, 1 mg, incurved, red. Drupe 

 sessile, scaly, ovoid, i-f in., flesh red; stone wrinkled and 



pitted. (Collett.) 



A very commonly cultivated tree in China and Japan, and is much esteemed 

 for its sub-acid fruits, which are eaten by natives and Europeans both raw and 

 cooked. I can find no difference between it and the M. integrifolia of Roxb.,** 



Myrica integrifolia is a very common native bush or tree in the mountainous 

 parts of Bengal and the eastern peninsula of India, and especially in Silhet, 

 where it is called Sophee, and the fruit is eaten both pickled and raw. T ' 

 (Hooker in Curtis' Bot. Mag. for Sept. 1, 1868.) 



Uses : — The bark is described by writers on Sanskrit medi- 

 cine as heating, stimulant, and useful in diseases supposed to be 

 caused by deranged phlegm, such as catarrhal fever, cough, and 

 affections of the throat. It enters into the composition of 

 numerous formulae for these diseases, in which it is combined 

 with other stimulants and alteratives. The powdered bark is 



