886 
INDIAN MEDICINAL PLANTS. 
Pedicels T-lin. Sepals ^in., elliptic, obtuse, glabrous or nearly 
so, with or without a macro. Corolla widely funnel-shaped, 
glabrous, middle-sized, purplish Capsule f-'jln., glabrous. Seed 
subtrigonous, dark-brown. 
Use : — The root possesses cathartic properties and is some- 
times used by the Sindhis as jalap (Murray). 
It contains eonvolvnlin. 
850. Evolvulua alsinoidies, Linn, h.f.b.i., iy. 
220 ; Roxb. 276. . 
Sans. : — Vislinugandhi. 
Vern. : — Sankhpushpi (Pb.) ; Shankhaveli (Bomb.) ; Vistnoo- 
krandie (Tam.); Vistna-clandi (Malayalam) ; Vistnoo-krandum 
(Tel.). 
Habitat: — Very common throughout India; rare in very 
damp regions. 
A much-branched diffuse perennial herb ; annual branches 
many, spreading from a short woody root-stock, wiry, more or 
less pilose or sometimes almost glabrous. Leaves variable, 
sessile or nearly so, ^-1 in. long, lanceolate to ovate, obtuse, 
mucronate, acute at the base, densely clothed with appressed 
white or fulvous silky pubescence. Flowers blue or white, on 
1-3-flowered filiform peduncle ; bract small, linear, hirsute, 
persistent, pedicels filiform. Calyx densely silky ; segments |in. 
long, lanceolate, acute. Corolla subrotate, -jin. long. Capsule 
a Jin, in diam., 4-valved and usually 4-seeded. (Duthie.) 
Parts used : — Leaves, stalks and roots. 
Use : — In the Vedic period, it was believed to possess the 
power of promoting conception. The Mahomedan physicians 
believe that this plant has the power to strengthen the brain 
and memory (Dymock). 
It is used as a febrifuge with cunim and milk also as an 
alterative and with oil to promote the growth of the hair 
(Rheede). 
The leaves, stalks, and roots are all used in medicine by the 
Tamools, and are supposed to possess virtues in certain bowel 
affections. They are prescribed in infusion in the quantity of 
