1246 
INDIAN MEDICINAL PLANTS. 
Uses : — The arrowroot from this plant is used medicinally 
in some parts of the country. 
A fairly large trade exists in tikluir or tankir arrowroot all over India. 
It is used as a substitute for ordinary arrowroot, but regarded as less desir- 
able medically. It is, however, a favourite article of food among the Natives 
especially for children. The Travancore arrowroot is reported to be not 
infrequently mixed with the starch of cassava or of tapioca (Manihot uti- 
lissima, p. 766!. In Upper India it is said starch of the sweet-potato is some- 
times employed as an adulterant, and in Bombay the colourless young tubers 
of the ordinary turmeric are mixed with those of this plant. 
The late Dr. Lisboa (Notes on Mahableshwar and other Indian Arrowroot- 
yielding PI. in Journ. Bomb. Nat. Hist. Soc., 1887, ii., 140-7) gives much useful 
information regarding this arrowroot. He would appear to think that much 
of the East Indian Arrowroot of Western India (especially that of Mahablesh- 
war) is derived from the tubers of Hitchena caulina, Baker. [C/. Cooke, El. 
Pres, Bomb., ii., 728.]— Watt’s Commercial Products of India, p. 444. 
1232 . C. aromntica, Salisb., h.f.b.i., vi. 210 . 
Syn. : — 0. Zedoari, Roxb. 8. 
Sans. : — Vana haridra. 
Vern. : — Jangli-haldi, bau haldi(H.) ; Banbnlud (B.J ; Kapur 
kachali (Guz.) ; Ranhalad, Kasturimanjal (Tam.) ; Tvasturi pasu- 
pa, kattu-mannal (Tel.) ; Anakiiva, kattu-mannar (Mai.) ; ICnsturi- 
arishnia (Kan.). 
Tlahitat : — Throughout India. 
An annual herb, biennial, says J. G. Baker ; growing from 
the previous year’s tubers. Rootstock lin. diarn.; tubers sessile, 
yellow, aromatic inside. Petiole as long as the blade which is 
l-2ft. by 4-8in. Leaves 3 to 4ft. caudate, large oblong persist- 
ently pubescent beneath, base deltoid, plain green above or 
variegated with lighter and darker green. Flowers in dense 
compound ; spikes crowned by a coma of colom-ed enlarged 
bracts ; lower bracts ovate, membranous, enclosing several 
bracteolate fugitive flowers which open in succession. Spike 
with peduncles 1ft. produced from April to June with or 
before the leaves, the later hal f as long, 3-4in. diam ; flower- 
bracts ovate pale-green, l^-2in., those of the coma larger and 
more or less tinged with pink. Flowers shorter than the 
bracts. Oorolla-tube lin., upper half funnel-shaped. Lobes 
