phous, cordate or peltate, coarsely-toothed, palmately nerved, glabrous above, white tomentose beneath ; blade 10-40in. by 6-12 in. ; petioles 5 in. long, stout. Flowers axillary, very large, and fragrant. Sepals linear brown tomentose without, paler within, 6 by 5in. Petals white, shorter than the sepals. Staminodes club-shaped, stouter and longer than the filamented anthers. Staminal- column glabrous, l-5in. long, filaments slender. Gynophore longer than the staminal-column. Ovary 5-angled, densely brown -tomentose ; style long, stout with a club-shaped stigma ; ovarian cells many-ovuled. Capsule 4-6 in. long, 5 angled ; 5-celled. Seeds numerous, winged ; albumen mucilaginous, scanty ; cotyledons thin, folded. (Talbot. P. 149, Vol. I, Forest Flora, Bombay Presidency and Sind, 1909).
Parts used : — The leaves, bark, and flowers.
Uses : —The clown on the leaves is used to stop bleeding in wounds (Gamble). The flowers are used as a general tonic (T. N. Mukerji).
184. Pentapetes phœnicea, Linn, h.f.b.i., i. 371., Roxb. 157.
San. : — Raktaka, Bandhuka, bandhujiva, arka-vallabha, pushpa rakta.
Vern. : — Kat-lálá, Doopahuria (B.) ; Guidu. Paria (Pb.) Bare baha (Santal) ; Tâmbdi dupári (Mar.) ; Nág-pu (Tam.) ; Dopahariya, dopohoria (H.}; Bare baba {Santal);
Habitat : — Throughout the hotter parts of India.
Annual herbs, branched, 2-5 ft., glabrous, or with a few scattered stellate hairs. Leaves 3-5 in., 1-nerved, crenate-serrate, petiole lin. Stipules subulate. Peduncle simple, axillary, as long as or longer than the petiole, 1-2-flowered, jointed near the flower. Bracteoles half the length of the Calyx. Flowers red, opening at noon and closing at the following dawn. Hence in Bombay it is called Dupári or Madhuk. (See A collection of Marâthi Poems, Navanita, page 406, 4th edition, Bombay). Sepals 5, stellate-hairy, with a few bristles, lanceolate. Petals 5,
