552 
INDIAN MEDICINAL PLANTS. 
A middle-sized evergreen tree. Bark white, thick, spongy, 
peeling off in papery flakes. Wood reddish brown, hard ; bran- 
ches slender, pendulous. Leaves alternate, coriaceous, lanceo- 
late, more or less oblique, 2-5in. long, tapering into a short 
petiole, with 3-7 distinct longitudinal nerves. Flowers yellow- 
ish-white, sessile in erect axillary spikes, 2-6in. long, the rachis 
generally prolonged and leaf-bearing. Stamens numerous, the 
filaments united at their base into 5 bundles, inserted opposite 
to the petals. Ovary half-inferior, enclosed in the Calyx-tube. 
Capsule loculicidally 3-valved. Yields the Cajuput oil of 
commerce (Brandis). 
Use : — The oil is used in medicine as a stimulant and dia- 
phoretic (Gamble) ; it is used as an external application for 
rheumatism (Dymock). 
It is antispasmodic; and, when externally applied, acts as 
rubefacient. It is also regarded as a powerful sudorific (Watt). 
The oil is officinal in British and Indian Pharmacopoeias. 
502. Psidium Guyava, Linn, h.f.b.i., ii. 468, 
Roxb. 396. 
Var. pyriferum, Linn, (sp.), and pomiferum, Linn, (sp.) 
Eng : — The guava tree. 
V ern. : — Amrut, amrud (Hind.) ; Piyara (Beng.) ; Amuk 
(Nepal.) ; Mcdharian (Ass.) ; Segapu (Tam.) ; Jama koia (Tel.); 
Lal-jam, sufed-jam (Dec.) ; Tambada-peru, Pandhara-peru 
(Bomb.) 
Habitat : — A native of Tropical America and the West Indies 
originally ; now quite naturalized all over India, Burma, Ceylon ; 
almost wild. 
A small evergreen tree or large shrub, 20-30ft. Girth 2-3ft. 
pubescent on the young branches. Bark smooth, thin, greenish 
grey, epidermis greybrown, peeling oil in thin paper-like flakes 
(K. R. K.) Wood greyish brown, moderately hard, even-grained. 
Leaves opposite, oblong to ovate, on a very short petiole 
usually acuminate or almost blunt, 3-5 or Gin. long, glabres- 
cent above, adpressed pubescent beneath, lateral nerves 15-20. 
