1348 INDIAN MEDICINAL PLANTS. 



matic and carminative, and useful in diarrhoea, asthma and 

 other affections caused by deranged phlegm. (U. C. Dutt.) 



Among the Santals the fruit is applied externally for rheu- 

 matism. (Revd. H. Campbell.) 



1321. Bhaphidophora pertusa, Schott., h.f.b.l, 

 vi. 546. 



Syn. :— S. Pertusus, Schott. Pothos pertusus, Roxb. 145. 



Vern. : — Ganeskanda (Mar.). 



Habitat: — The Dekkan Peninsula; Coromandal, Malabar; 

 Ceylon rather rare. 



A tall perennial climbing shrub rooting on trees. Stem 

 cylindric l|in. diam., green, smooth, leafy for the greater part 

 of its length. Leaves 8-18in. long, and 6-10in. broad ; young 

 small, ovate, entire ; old pinnatifid to below the middle or 

 perforate, base truncate or subcordate, lobes few, broad, falcate, 

 acuminate, primary nerves 5-8 pairs connected by anastomosing 

 veinlets. Petiole about as long as the blade deeply. channelled, 

 young winged, wings not auricled at top, basal sheaths 4-5, 

 oblong, obtuse, brown. Spathe shortly stoutly ped uncled, yellow, 

 5-7in. ovate-oblong or cylindric, cymbiform, acuminate, or 

 cuspidate. Spadix sessile, shorter than the spathe, very stout, 

 cylindric, fin. diam., top rounded. Flowers hexagonal. 

 Stamens 8 ; filaments very stout, sometimes bifid ; anthers small. 

 Ovary 6-gonous. Stigma linear, raised on a short stout style. 

 (Trimen.) The ovary is 4-angled, stigma sessile, pulvinate, says 

 J. D. Hooker. 



A closely allied plant, says Trimen, cultivated in gardens 

 always, has perforated leaves. 



Uses :— -The juice of the plant with black pepper is given to 

 people who are bitten by Kusreyia ghannas {Daboia russellii, a 

 viper), a snake so called because the part bitten by it mortifies. 

 The juice, with that of the roots of Croton oblongifolium, and of 

 the fruit of Momordica charantia is also applied to the bitten 

 part. (Dymock.) 



