Use : — Fruit used as an anthelmintic (especially for tapeworm), sold under the name of Bebrang, and often used as a substitute for that of Samara Ribes (Stewart).
It is also laxative in dropsy and colic. The gum of this plant is a warm remedy for dysmenorrhœa (Balfour).
Continued use is said to produce a high-colored state of urine.
717. Embelia Ribes, Burm. h.f.b.l, iii. 513 ; Roxb. 195.
Syn. : — E. glandulifera, Wight.
Sans. : — Vidanga.
Vern. : — Baberang, wawrung (Hind.) ; Bebrang (Sylhet) ; Himalcheri (Nepal) ; Babrung (Pb.); Váyu-vilamgam (Tam.); Kár-kannie, Warding (Bom.) ; Umbelia (Cingh.).
Habitat: — From the Central Himalaya, throughout India ; common in the lower hills.
A large, scandent shrub. Bark, tubercled, ½in., rough, with conical hard protuberances. Wood light-brown, porous. Climbing by means of rerlexed lateral twigs, which are deciduous except at the basal part, which remains as a woody deflexed spine. Branches extremely long, very flexible, with long internodes, slender, cylindric ; bark of young branches nearly white, very smooth and shining, with large lenticels. Leaves 4-5in., on very short petioles, usually bordered with prominent glands, lanceolate or oblong-lanceolate, acute or rounded at base, shortly acuminate, acute or obtuse, entire, perfectly glabrous and shining on both sides, pale and somewhat silvery beneath, coriaceous ; lateral veins invisible, white surface, with scattered minute, red, sunken glands. Flowers very small, Jan., numerous, or white, more or less pubescent, in lax elongated, spreading pubescent panicles, 6in-2ft. long, terminal or in axils of upper leaves; bracts small, ciliate. Corolla split into distinct petals, pubescent on both sides. Stamens 5, erect. Berry about ¼in., nearly globose, tipped with style, smooth, crimson, wrinkled when dry.
