8 
INDIAN MEDICINAL PLANTS. 
nearly to the base, segments 5-9, narrow, pinnately lobed, often 
toothed ; stem-leaves few, shortly stalked, upper sessile, more 
or less deeply 3-lobed, lobes narrow, mostly entire. Flowers 
few, scattered, I-I 3 in. long, spur cylindric, nearly straight. 
Sepals spreading, varying from deep-blue to faded grey. Petals 
blue, the lateral ones 2-lobed, hairy (Collett,). Anterior petals 
deeply 2-fid, hairy on both surfaces. Follicles 3, inflated, glab- 
rous or sparsely hairy. (Hr. f. and Thoms.). 
Use : — The root is used in Bashahr for toothache and also 
as an adulterant for aconite (Stewart). 
An alkaloid, introduced into commerce under the name of delphocurarine 
(Merck) has been extracted from the roots of a number of De Iplifimiuis by 
means of an 80 per cent, solution of alcohol containing tartaric acid. Jlelpho- 
enrarine consists, in reality, of a mixture of bases, and behaves physiologi- 
cally like curare (compare Lobmann, Pfliiger's Archiv 1902, XC1J, 398). It 
, forms a white, amorphous powder which has a very bitter taste and an alkaline 
reaction, and is readily soluble in dilute acids. A small quantity of crystal- 
line compound, C 23 H 3 3 0,N, has been isolated from delphocurarine by means of 
ether and a mixtureof light petroleum ; it crystallises in needles, melts at 
184°-185°, is rather readily soluble in alcohol, ether, chloroform, or benzene, 
butonly sparingly so in light petroleum, and contains 18 per cent, of 
methoxyl. The platinum and gold salts form pale reddish yellow powdets, 
the former containing Pt. 13C9 percent, and the latter An 2329. 
J. Ch. S. 1903, AI. 650. 
10. D. cceruleum, Jacq. h.f.br.i., i. 25. 
Vern. : — Dakbanga (Pb.). 
Habitat: — Alpine Himalaya, from Ktimaon to Sikkim. 
An erect herb, Stem 3-12 in., much-branched from the base, 
leafy, spreading. Leaves suborbicular, 1^-11 im diam., 5-7 lobed, 
lobes cuncate — oblong, incised or pinnatifid, segments linear. 
Radical leaves divided to the base. Flowers solitary in long 
branches or few in a loose raceme, pale blue, hairy. Sepals 
shorter than the nearly straight spur. Spur subulate. Anterior 
petals obovate or obcordate, a little hairy. Follicles 5, hairy. 
Use : — The root is applied to kill the maggots in the wounds 
of goats. (Stewart.) 
11. D. Brunoinanum, Hoyle, h.f.br.i., i. 27. 
Vern. Nepari (Kumaon) ; Kasturi (Garthwal); Sapfulu 
