1036 
INDIAN MEDICINAL PLANTS. 
2-3ft. Leaves f-IJin., sometimes almost as broad, lower floral 
large ; shortly petioled, ovate-cordate, obtuse-crenate. Spikes 
4-8in., pale ; whorls secund dense-fid, in long interrupted villous 
spikes, upper crowded. Bracts lanceolate, often tinged with 
purple. Flowers Jin. long, lilac. Calyx Jin. curved villous, 
hairs long ; teeth linear lanceolate, shorter than the tube often 
tinged with purple. Corolla very small, about one-third inch lilac, 
hairy, tube slender, longer than calyx (Collett). Nutlets broadly 
ellipsoid. J. D. Hooker says the plant is very like N. Rude- 
rulis, but the inflorescence is more simple, the whorls rarely 
peduncled. Bentham describes the nutlets as minutely granular, 
but says Hooker that he finds them smooth. 
Uses. — It is given in sherbet for fever and cough (Stewart). 
1004. N. ruderalis, Hamilt., h.f.b.i., iv. 661. 
Syn. — Glechoma, erecta, Roxb. 460. 
Vern. — Billi-lotan, Badranj boya, Bebrang khatai (Pb.) ; 
Niasbo (Nepal). 
Habitat. —Tropical and Sub-tropical India, from the Tndus 
to Behar, Central India and the Concan, ascending the Himalaya 
to 8,000ft. 
Annual herbs, erect or ascending, finely pubescent or hoary, 
3tem 6-18in., branched from the base, robust or slender, obtuse- 
ly 4-angled. Leaves broadly ovate or orbicular-cordate, obtuse 
crenate, s-2Jin., green or hoary ; petiole J-lJin. Whorls J-lin. 
diam., unilateral, depressed ; peduncles lin. Flowers pedicelled, 
Jin. long, blue or purple, minutely darker dotted. Calyx hairy ; 
teeth linear-lanceolate, shorter than the tube. Corolla pubescent, 
slightly longer than the calyx, Jin., purplish, says J. D. 
Hooker. “Calyx Jin., villious, mouth sub-equal, 3 upper teeth 
triangular, aristate, 2 lower filiform ” (Hooker). Nutlets obscurely 
granulate, a^in. long, broad oblong, brown, spotted with white, 
mucilaginous when moistened. The granulation, says J. D. 
Hooker, consists of more or less tumid areolae and is sometimes 
very distinct. 
Uses. — Supposed to be cardiac tonic (Stewart). Decoction 
used as a gargle in sore-throat; Largely used in fevers (Dr. 
