n o. aroidejE. 1349 



1322. Lasia heterophylla, Schott., h.f.b.i., vi. 

 550. Boxb. 147. 



Vern. : — Kanta-kochu (B.) ; Kanta saru (Santali) ; Mulasari, 

 kanta-kachoramu (Tel.). 



Habitat.— Found from Tropical Sikkim Himalaya, Assam, 

 Bengal, Burma, Singapore. Rather common in low moist country 

 in Ceylon. Not in Peninsular India, (K. R. K.). 



Root-stock creeping, lin. diam. Leaves 6-18in. long, rigidly 

 coriaceous, young hastate or sagittate, old pinnatifid, segments 

 lanceolate, acuminate, smooth above, beneath costate, and 

 strongly penniveined, mid-rib and veins naked or spinous 

 beneath. Petiole 2-4ft., terete, base sheathing. Spathe 8-14in., 

 'spirally twisted above the spadix, about as thick as the little 

 finger, acute, green or yellowish, margins very dark-purple ex- 

 cept at the base, open at base only when the pollen is being 

 discharged, closing afterwards. Spadix about lin., claret 

 coloured, fruiting 4-5in., and lin. diam. Flowers sessile, 

 perianth-segments 4-5, concave, dorsally hooded, dull pink ; 

 filaments very broad, anther-cells oblong, divaricate below; 

 ovary short, columnar, green, stigma large, sessile, pulvinate, 

 pink. Fruit an oblong or capitate syncarp 2in. diam., of 

 muricate berries, Jin. diam. Root-stock eaten in famine times. 

 (Trim en.) 



Uses :— The root is highly esteemed by the Santals as a reme- 

 dy for affections of the throat. (Campbell.) 



The leaves and roots are also used medicinally by the Sin- 

 ghalese. 



1323. Acorus calamus, Linn. h.f.b.i., VI. 555. 

 Roxh. 296. 



Sans. : — Vacha (talking), sbadgrantha (six-knotted), ugragan- 

 dha (strong-smelling), jatila (having entangled hair). 



Vern. : — Bach, gor bach (H.) ; Bach (B.) ; Gandilovaj, goda 

 vaj (Guz.) ; Vekhand (Mar.) ; Bariboj ; warch (Pb.) ; Vashambu 

 (Tarn.); Vasa, wasa, wadaja (Tel.) ; Vashampa(MaL) ; Baje(Kan.) 



