on the lower side at the base. Stipules or small, not decurrent. Peduncles finely silky, usually twice the leaves. Racemes all lateral, leaf-opposed, usually reduced to a few flowers ; minute, hairy bracteole at the joint ; arranged in lax, slender, erect or ascending glabrous, recenose panicles, several of which arise from leaf-axil. Calyx-segments strongly imbricate, orbicular, very obtuse, glabrous. Petals much longer than sepals, oval-oblong, spreading. Stamens only 2-4 ; bracts subulate, very minute. Calyx 1/12-1/6 in., densely silky ; teeth linear, long.
Corolla small, yellow, not exserted. Pod linear-oblong, glabrous, nearly sessile, ½-⅝ in. long, 12-15 seeded.
Use : — Used by the Santals in derangement of the stomach.
341. C albida, Heyne. h.f.b.l, ii. 71.
Syn. C. montana, Roxb. 547.
Vern. Ban-methi (H).
Habitat :~-Tropical region through India proper and Ceylon, ascending to 5,500 ft. in Kumaon, and to 6-7000 ft. in the West Himalayas. Burma, Malay Peninsula and Islands, extending to China and the Philippines.
A perennial herb or small under-shrub, with short woody base and very numerous ascending, slender branches 6in.-2ft. long, covered with short, adpressed hair. Leaves numerous, rather close, small, ½-¾ in., shortly stalked, linear-spathulate, acute at base, obtuse truncate or retuse at apex, apiculate, glabrous and minutely punctate above, silky with adpressed hair beneath, without stipules. Flowers bright yellow, small, numerous, on slender pedicels, secund, in lax terminal racemes. Bracts minute, often on the Calyx-tube. Calyx-segments ⅜in., the upper linear-oblong, very obtuse, the lower linear-lanceolate, acuminate, all very finely silky. Petals about as long as Calyx. Pod ½in., oblong-ovoid, not stalked, tipped with hooked base of style, glabrous, brown ; seeds 6-12.
Use : — The root is used as a purgative.
342. C. verrucosa, Linn, h.f.b.l, ii. 77.
Syn. : — C. angulosa, Lamk., Roxb. 550.
