136 
INDIAN MEDICINAL PLANTS. 
equalling the sepals, very delicate or soon falling off or 0. 
Stamens 8-12. Style 3-8-ful. Capsule dehiscent transversely, 
inclosed in sepals, the free portions of which also separate by 
transverse division and come away with the lid. Seeds 
numerous, muricate, dark brown. The flowers are yellow and 
open only for a few hours in the morning. Flowers all the year 
round. 
Parts used : — The plant, leaves, and seeds. 
Uses : — The plant has long been used as a domestic 
remedy by the Hindus, and was early noticed by European 
writers. Ainslie writes thus of P. quadrifida which posesses 
the same properties : — “ The bruised fresh leaves of this acid 
and pleasaat-tasted purslane are prescribed by the Tamool 
practitioners as an external application in ahki, erysipelas ; an 
infusion of them is also ordered as a diuretic in dysuria, to the 
extent of half-a-tea-cupful twice daily.” He further mentions 
that in Jamaica, P. oleracea is employed as a cooling and 
moistening herb in “ burning fevers.” Bruised, it is applied 
to the temples to allay “ excessive heat ” and pain, and that 
the juice is “ of use in spitting of blood.” Dymock says that 
both species are supposed by Arabian and Persian writers 
to be cold and moist, and to have detergent and astringent 
properties. The plant and seeds are recommended by them 
in a great many diseases of the kidneys, bladder, and lungs, 
which are supposed to be caused by hot or bilious humours. 
They are also praised as an external application in burns, 
scalds, and various forms of skin disease (Mat. Med., W. Ind.). 
Moodeen Sheriff describes the seeds as demulcent, slightly 
^stringent, and diuretic ; the leaves as refrigerant, astringent, 
diuretic, and emollient. He believes, both to be “ very useful” 
in some cases of strangury, dysuria, irritation of the bladder, 
haematuria, haematemesis, haemoptysis, and gonorrhoea. “ In 
addition to this,” he writes, “ the seeds seem to have some 
beneficial influences over the mucous membrane of the intestinal 
canal, and therefore relieve tormina, tenesmus, and other dis- 
tressing symptoms in many cases of dysentery and mucous 
diarrhoea. This is particularly the case when they are combined 
