402 
INDIAN MEDICINAI, PLANTS. 
on the lower side at the base. Stipules 0 or small, not decur- 
rent. Peduncles finely silky, usually twice the leaves. Race- 
mes all lateral, leaf-opposed, usually reduced to a few flowers ; 
minute, hairy bracteole at the joint ; arranged in lax, slender, 
erect or ascending glabrous, recenose panicles, several of which 
arise from leaf-axil. Calyx-segments strongly imbricate, or- 
bicular, very obtuse, glabrous. Petals much longer than sepals, 
oval-oblong, spreading. Stamens only 2-4 ; bracts subulate, 
very minute. Calyx iV-eim, densely silky ; teeth linear, long. 
Corolla small, yellow, not exserted. Pod linear-oblong, glabrous, 
nearly sessile, in. long, 12-15 seeded. 
Use: — Used by the Santals in derangement of the sto- 
mach. 
341 . C. albida, Heyne. h.f.b.i., ii. 71 . 
Syn. C. montana, Roxb. 547. 
Vern. Ban-methi (H). 
Habitat :--Tropical region through India proper and CeyloD, 
ascending to 5,500 ft. in Kurnaon, and to 6-7000 ft. in the West 
Himalayas. Burma, Malay Peninsula and Islands, extending 
to China and the Philippines. 
A perennial herb or small under-slnub, with short woody base 
and very numerous ascending, slender branches 6in.-2ft. long, 
covered with short, adpressed hair. Leaves numerous, rather 
close, small, |~f in., shortly stalked, linear-spathulate, acute at 
base, obtuse truncate or retuse at apex, apiculate, glabrous and 
minutely punctate above, silky ith adpressed hair beneath, 
without stipules. Flowers bright yellow, small, numerous, on 
slender pedicels, secund, in lax terminal racemes. Bracts 
minute, often on the Calyx-tube. Calyx-segments fin., the upper 
linear-oblong, very obtuse, the lower linear-lanceolate, acuminate, 
all very finely silky. Petals about as long as Calyx. Pod |in., 
oblong-ovoid, not stalked, tipped with hooked base of style, 
glabrous, brown ; seeds 6-12. 
Use : — The root is used as a purgative. 
342 . C. verrucosa, Linn, h.f.b.i., ii. 77 . 
Syn. : — C. angulosa, Lamk., Roxb. 550. 
