Page:Indian Medicinal Plants (Text Part 2).djvu/240

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INDIAN MEDICINAL PLANTS.


in the W. Himalaya ; from Kashmir to Assam ; abundant in Bengal plains, (?) Deccan Peninsula.

An erect shrub, 4-8 ft. high, with straggling branches. Branches, leafstalks and inflorescence densely clothed. Bark thin, grey brown. Wood white soft (Gambles'^, with tawny wool-like to mentum. Leaves shortly stalked, 6-10in. long, by 2-3in. broad, lanceolate crenate or sharply toothed, long-pointed ; at times ovate or ovate-lanceolate. Upper surface wrinkled, stellately- pubescent ; lower, tomentose ; lateral nerves 12-15 pairs. Petiole ⅓-½in. Flowers hardly 1/5in. long, pink, crowded in axillary stalked cymes. Calyx bell-shaped, minutely 4-toothed, 1/20in. Corolla tubular regular 4-lobed, tube short. Stamens far protruding, equal, 4. Anthers small exserted. Ovary 2 or 4-celled ; style long, stigma minutely capitate. Fruit a spongy succulent globose drupe, white with 4 one-celled pyrenes, when ripe fully (Collett and Kanjilal.)

Uses : — In Hazara the leaves heated are applied to rheumatic joints. (Stewart.) " The leaves," says Trimen, "have a peculiar scent, mixed fetid and lemon-like, and are used for flavouring native soups and curries. An aromatic oil is also obtained from the root and used as a remedy in disorders of the stomach."


950. Tectona grandis, Linn., f. h.f.b.i., iv, 570; Roxb. 202.

Sans. :— Sâka.

Vern : — Sagun (Hind.) ; Segun (Beng.) ; Singuru (Uriya) ; Tekku, tek (Tam.); Teku (Tel.); Jati (Mal.) ; Saj, sal (Arab, and Pers.) ; Ságwán or Ság (Bomb.) ; Tegina-mara, Sâguvâni, Sagoni-Mara (Kan.).

Habitat: — W. Deccan Peninsula, from Central India to Orissa.

A large deciduous tree, 80-120 fit. high ; branchlets 4-angular, stellately tomentose. Leaves about 12 in. long (or much larger in seedling specimens), elliptic or obovate, acute or acuminate, entire, usually cuneate at the base ; upper surface rough, but glabrous, the lower densely clothed with grey or yellowish tomentum, main lateral nerves 8-10 pairs. Flowers