A middle-sized evergreen tree. Bark white, thick, spongy, peeling off in papery flakes. Wood reddish brown, hard ; branches slender, pendulous. Leaves alternate, coriaceous, lanceolate, more or less oblique, 2-5in. long, tapering into a short petiole, with 3-7 distinct longitudinal nerves. Flowers yellowish-white, sessile in erect axillary spikes, 2-6in. long, the rachis generally prolonged and leaf-bearing. Stamens numerous, the filaments united at their base into 5 bundles, inserted opposite to the petals. Ovary half-inferior, enclosed in the Calyx- tube.
Capsule loculicidaily 3-valved. Yields the Cajuput oil of commerce (Brandis).
Use : — The oil is used in medicine as a stimulant and diaphoretic (Gamble) ; it is used as an external application for rheumatism (Dymock).
It is antispasmodic; and, when externally applied, acts as rubefacient. It is also regarded as a powerful sudorific (Watt). The oil is officinal in British and Indian Pharmacopœias.
502. Psidium Guyava, Linn, h.f.b.i., ii. 468, Roxb. 396.
Var. pyriferum, Linn, (sp.), and pomiferum, Linn, (sp.)
Eng : — The guava tree.
Vern. :— Amrût, amrûd (Hind.) ; Piyara (Beng.) ; Amuk (Nepal.); Mcdharian (Ass.); Segapu (Tam.); Jama koia (Tel.); Lâl-jam, sûfêd-jam (Dec) ; Tâmbadâ-peru, Pândharâ-peru (Bomb.)
Habitat :— A native of Tropical America and the West Indies originally ; now quite naturalized all over India, Burma, Ceylon ; almost wild.
A small evergreen tree or large shrub, 20-30ft. Girth 2-3ft. pubescent on the young branches. Bark smooth, thin, greenish grey, epidermis greybrown, peeling off in thin paper-like flakes (K. R. K.) Wood greyish brown, moderately hard, even-grained. Leaves opposite, oblong to ovate, on a very short petiole 1/6-⅓in. usually acuminate or almost blunt, 3-5 or 6in. long, glabrescent above, adpressed pubescent beneath, lateral nerves 15-20.
