Habitat :— North -West India. Peshawar.
A small, green, spiny, undershrub, with procumbent branches. Internodes short, Lower leaves 3-foIiate, the rest 1-foliate ; young branches sub-tetagonous, sides grooved, spines (modified stipules) exceeding the ovate, rather fleshy leaflets ; young leaflets rather minute. Peduncles solitary from between the spiny stipules. Fruit, a capsule, bearing on its top the remnant of the tapering subulate style.
Part used : — The whole plant,
Use : — The plant is given as a tonic and febrifuge, and in the Peshawar Valley it is given to children as a prophylactic against small-pox (Bellew).
It is useful as an application to tumors, also in chronic fever, dropsy, and delirium, and in any disorder which arises from poisoning. (Punjab Products).
N. 0. GERANIACEÆ.
209. Geraniun Wallichianum, Sweet, h.f.b.i, i. 430.
Vern :-- Liljahri, N. W. P. Kao-ashud (Kashmir) Roots.— Mam-i-ran (Pushtu).
Habitat : — Temperate Himalaya, from Nepal to Murree.
A perennial hairy herb. Root-stock thick. Stems robust, l-4ft., erect. Leaves orbicular, 2-5in. across, palmate! y-3-5- lobed ; segments wedge-shaped, pointed, acutely and irregularly toothed ; stipules oblong-ovate, ½-1in. Flowers blue- purple, 1½-2in. diam. Sepals abruptly long-pointed. Petals slightly notched, claw hairy (Collett); filaments suddenly dilated at base. Carpels pilose ; seeds smooth.
The very large solitary stipules best distinguish this species (Edgeworth and Hook. Fil).
Use : — Aitchison says the root of this plant was brought to him in Kuram as a valuable medicine known as Mum-i-ran (Kuram Valley Flora, J. L. S. xviii-p-26. ).
