N. O. J.ABIATJK. 
1019 
Vevn. : — Sarpano-charo ; Asmani galgoto ; Jangali lavaudar 
(Duk. and Guz.). 
Habitat : —Deccan Peninsula ; common in the West, from 
the Concati to Ooorg. Central India, at Indore. 
A slender erect herb; Stems 2-3 ft. high, simple or branched, 
4-angled, pubsecent. Leaves , sessile or nearly so, 2-4in. long 
and as broad as long, pinnatipartite or deepl} 7 pinnatisect ; lobes 
linear, entire or cut or, toothed, obtuse or subacute, glabrous or 
pubescent above, pale and pubescent beneath. Spikes simple 
or more or less branched, or sometimes subumbellate, bracts 
pubescent, long, broadly ovate and strongly nerved at 
the base, the apex ending in a long capillary awn. Calyx (in 
fruit) grey-pubescent, Jin. long, tube somewhat curved ; teeth 
lanceolate, acute and with pennicillate tips. Corolla blue ox- 
white, nearly Jin. long, hairy outside ; tube Jin. long, slender 
below ; upper lip Jin. long ; middle lobe of lower lip twice as 
long as the 2 lateral ones. Nutlets oblong-ellipsoid, mucilagin- 
ous when moistened (Duthie). 
Uses: — Mr. Indraji, the author of ■“ Vanaspati Shastra, ” a 
book containing valuable information on the flora of the Western 
Presidency, India, writes that it is not known whether any- 
body else has made use of the plant except that the villagers 
and shepherds of the Barda Hills in Kathiawar have used it as 
a medicine. 
In places where the plant grows serpents abound. It is sup- 
posed to act as an antidote for poison ; the roots are rubbed 
with water and the solution or the paste is applied over the sting 
of wild animals. The powdeiect leaves are given for inhalation 
to the person who has been stung by a serpent in oi'der to 
prevent him from falling into sleep. 
Colonel Kirtikar having drawn the attention of Prof. D. D. 
Kanga, to the importance of this plant, who extracted oil from 
its flowers, and leaves. 
According to him “ the oil obtained from the flowers was quite different in 
all respects from that obtained from the leaves; it differed both physically 
and chemically; the yield of oil was greater from the leaves than from the 
flowers. 
