N. 0. CYPERACETE. 1355 



Spikelets often f-iin. apart, sessile, diverging, lanceolate, 

 rigid, obtuse. Glumes obtuse, 5-7-nerved. Stamens 2 :— style 

 bifid. Nut longer than half the glume, more or less compressed, 

 not equilaterally trigonous, obcordate, smooth. 



Uses:— The tubers are used as a tonic and stimulating me- 

 licine. (Irvine.) 



1327. Gyperus scariosus, G. Br. h.f.b.l, vi. 612. 

 Syn. : — C. Pertenuis, Roxb. fiQ. 



Sans. : — Nagar-mustaka. 



Vern. : — Nagar-motha (H.) ; Nagar-mutha (B.); Nagar-motha 

 (Dec); Muttah-kach (Tarn.) ; Tungo-gaddala vim (Tel.) ; Vomon- 

 niu (Burm.) ; Lawala (Mar.) ; Kora^kizhanna (Mai.); Konuari- 

 gadde (Kan.) ; Soadekafi (Arab.) ; Mushki zamen (Pers.)- 



Habitat : — Bengal, Pegu. Common in Sunderban. 



Tall, glabrous, stolons slender, £-2 by T Vn., clothed by 

 elliptic acute lax striate concolorous scales |-in. long. Steins 

 16-36in. long ; at top -£ -f^in. in diam. slender ; triquetrous. 

 Leaves variable, usually short (less than \ stem), sometimes 

 much longer, sometimes 0, narrow, weak. Umbel thin ; rays 

 slender, sometimes up to 3 ; n. long, sometimes not 5 in.; contract- 

 ed. Bracts nearly always as the leaves, i.e., hardly any when 

 leaves short, exceeding inflorescence when leaves longish. 

 Spikelets linear pale straw colour. (C. B. Clarke.) 



Uses : — The root is officinal, and considered cordial, stomach- 

 ic, and desiccant, and is used for washing the hair. Also re- 

 garded as diaphoretic and diuretic. The root is given in con- 

 junction with Valerian in cases of epilepsy. The root is as- 

 tringent, useful in diarrhoea. A decoction is used in gonorrhoea 

 and also in syphilitic affections. (Dr. Peacock in Watt's DicJ 



In the Concan, Nagarmoth, Solanum indicum Tinospora 

 cordifolio, Ginger and Embelic myrobalans, of each 2 tolas, are 

 powdered and divided into 5 parts, and one part taken daily 

 in decoction with a little honey and long pepper as a febrifuge. 

 In dysentry, Nagarmoth, Mocharas, Lodhra, Daitiphul (Wood- 

 fordia fl,oribunda flowers), unripe Bael fruit, and the seeds of 



