N. 0. LILIACEJE. 1291 



Habitat: — Eastern Himalaya, Sikkim, Bhotan, Assam, Behar 

 at Monghyr, on Parasnath. Central Provinces, frequent, 

 especially on the plateau land in Balaghat and Bilaspur. 



Root fibres cylindric. Leaves 6-18 by lf-2in., oblanceolate, 

 obtuse, acute or acuminate, usually narrowed into a broad petiole. 

 Scape 6-20in., stout, naked ; raceme 3-8in., elongate, simple or 

 shortly branched ; bracts f-|in. or lower, longer ; pedicels J-Jin. 

 jointed in the middle. Perianth-segments |-|in., lanceolate, 

 white. Anthers longer than the filaments. Capsule fin. broad, 

 2-lobed at the tip and base ; cells 3-4 seeded. Seeds fin. 

 diam. ; sub-orbicular, flat, black. In small specimens, the 

 leaves are narrower and broadest at the base. (Hooker.) 



Uses : — Safed musli appears in the market in white dry 

 pieces '5-2-5 /; long and '25" thick. They swell in water to a 

 cylindrical fusiform shape, and are said to be used (like Kala 

 Musali) as a tonic. (Haines.) 



IV .-£?.— No other writer, except Mr. H. H. Haines, I.F.S. considers Safed 

 musli to be the product of this plant (Indian Forester, Vol. XL (1914), p. 477.) 

 B. D. B. 



Genus Allium, Linn, strong smelling, scapigrous herbs. 

 J. D. Hooker calls them " fotid." Well he may. A congener A. 

 ascalonicum is surnamed A. fragrans g. nepalensis. I don't 

 call them foetid. Of course opinions differ. They are, no 

 doubt, strong smelling, some with ammonical odours. (K.R.K.) 

 Bulbs coated. Leaves usually narrow, often fistular. Flowers 

 capitate or umbelled, all at first enclosed in 1-3 membranous 

 spathes, stelluate or campanulate ; sepals free or connate below. 

 Stamens hypogynous or inserted on the perianth ; filaments free 

 or connate below, anthers oblong. Ovary 3-gonous, 3-celled. 

 Style filiform ; stigma minute ; cells few-ovuled. Capsule small, 

 loculicidal. Seeds few, compressed ; testa black. 



1280. Allium ascalonicum, Linn., h.f.b.l, VI., 

 337. Roxb. 288. 



Vern. : — Ek-kanda-lasun or ek-kali-lasan (one-clove garlic) 

 Eng. :— The Shallot. 



