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INDIAN MEDICINAL PLANTS.

between the veins. Seedlings have broadly-ovate leave's, petiole slender, more than twice the length of the blade (Brandis). Usually the leaves, says Kanjilal, are with large distant spinous teeth. Racemes corymbose, dense-flowered, shorter than the leaves. Flowers peduncled or sessile, 2 in. diam., pale-yellow, at times only 1/12-1/2 in. diam. Stigma capitate on a distinct style. Berries large, 1/2 in. long, ovoid, often nearly globose, glaucous red or black : edible.


52. Podophyllum Emodi, Wall, h.f.b.i. i. 112.

Sanskrit—Laghu Pattra.

Vern.:—Papra, papri, bliavan-bakra, bakra-chimyaka, Nirbishi, Pilijadi (H.); Papri, ban-kakri; banbakri, Kakra, bankakra, Chimyaka, Chijakri, gul-kakri, wan-wangan (Pb.). Veniwel (Guj.); Padwel (Mar.).

Habitat:—Interior ranges of the Himalaya, from Sikkim to Hazara ; Kashmir. Simla, Jaunsar and Tehri Garhwal, 7,000, ft.

A scapigerous herb. Stem or scape 6-12 in., erect, stout, herbaceous. Leaves 2, vernal, alternate, long-petioled, plaited and deflexed in venation, 6-10 in. diam., orbicular, 3-5-lobed to the middle or base; lobes cuneate, laciniate or acutely serrate. Peduncle terminal in bud, then apparently supra-axillary or inserted on the petiole of the upper leaf. Flowers white or light rose, 1-11/2 in. diam., cup-shaped. Sepals very deciduous. Petals 6, sometimes 4 (Royle), ovate-oblong. Stamens usually six. Anther-cells opening by slits. Ovary simple. Stigma large, sessile, peltate. Berry 1-12 in., ellipsoid, red, edible. Seeds many, obovoid, imbedded in pulp, on a broad ventral placenta.

In the Indian Forester for October 1915, Mr. R. S. Troup, I. F S., has contributed a note on the cultivation of Podophyllum Emodi. According to him the plant can be cultivated easily from seed or from pieces of rhizome, but owing to the very slow growth of the rhizomes it is by no means certain to what