N. 0. GONIFEB*. 
1239 
with two faint, white lines either side of the midrib beneath, 
persistent for at least 3 years; tip emarginate, generally with 
two sharp cups. Cones always erect, oblong or cylindric, 2-4in. 
long, ] J-3in. diatn., dark-purple when ripe ; scales closely 
imbricate, obovate ; edge round. Seeds i-4in. long, obovoid ; 
wing twice as long broadly obovate, truncate ; cotyledons 5-6.” 
(Kanjilal’s Forest Flora of Sewalik, etc., p. 434, 2nd Edition. 
Calcutta, 1911.) 
Uses:— The dried'leaves of this plant (Talispatra, Hind, and 
Beng., Talispatra, Sans.)'" are regarded as carminative, expector- 
ant, stomachic, tonic and astri ngent, and useful in phthisis, 
asthma, bronchitis and catarrh of the bladder. The powdered 
leaves are often given along with the juice of Adhatoda Vasica 
and honey, and a confection called taliadya churn is prepared 4 
from the talispatra along with pepper, ginger, bamboo, manna, 
♦According to Ainslie and the earlier writers on Indian Economic Botany, 
talispatrie, talisapatra (Dec. and Hind.) ; and talisha, vidara (Sans.) were the 
vernacular names for the dried leaves and twigs of Flacourtia cataphracta, 
the paniyala of Bengal. (Ainslie II, 107.) 
Mr. Gamble, in his Manual of Indian Timbers, p. 17, gives talispatri as the 
Hindi name for Flacourtia cataphracta, Roxb., and this is also the name 
given by Babu T. N. Mukharji in his Amsterdam Catalogue. I have examined 
many specimens of the talispatra of our native druggists’ shops in Bengal, 
and they have uniformly been the leaves and twigs of Abies Webbiaua. Dr. 
U. C. Dutt writes to me to say that this is also his experience, and that he is 
of opinion that this is the talispatra of the ancient Sanskrit writers. It seems 
difficult to account, however, for a man of Dr. Ainslie’s ability mistaking the 
ovate leaf of a Flacourtia for the needle-shaped leaves of a Pine, and having 
few or no authors to compile from, he must have personally identified the 
plants of which he wrote. 
It is probable that the dried leaves of several plants, according to the 
part of India where diet with, receive the name of talispatra, provided they 
are found useful in the treatment of coughs. It seems likely, however, that 
the leaves of Abies Webbiaua are the original or true talispatra. Dr. Dymook 
informs me that the talispatra of the Bombay shops (also called Birini) consists 
of the leaves and young shoots of Taxus Baccata, Linn. 
The description of the talispatra in old books of Indian medicinal plants 
would agree very well with the leaves of a Cinnamomum, much better, in fact, 
than with those of an Abies. Dr. Moodeen Sheriff gives talishapatri as the 
Tamil and Telegn names for C. Tamal, Nees. and also the Arabic and Persian 
for the leaves of that plant. He may be quite right in this opinion, modern 
usage having appropriated the name to Abies. (Watt.) 
