Page:Indian Medicinal Plants (Text Part 2).djvu/159

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N. O. SOLANACEÆ.
909


keep, is thus indicated, but, of course, time alone will show whether the activity of the ferment is impaired to any important extent by such keeping.

I may add, in conclusion, that I have coagulated a considerable volume of milk with an extract such as I have described, and prepared a cheese from the curds. I have also given a portion of the extract to a professional cheese-maker, who has used it as a substitute for animal rennet in the preparation of a cheese. The product thus obtained, and the statements of the person who has made the experiment for me, led me to suppose that extracts of the seeds of Withania can be used as an adequate and successful substitute for animal rennet. "

An attempt has been made by Mr. D. S.Kemp, of Bombay, to preserve the ferment by means of sugar, but with only partial success (Dymock).

868, Lycium europœum Linn, h.f.b.l, iv. 240.

Vern.: — Kangú, kúngu, ganger mrál, chirchitta (Pb. and Hind.) ; Achmehudi (Merwara) ; Gangas, ganger (Sind).

Sindh, Panjab, Marwara, Gujrat.

Habitat : --Western India.

A thorny nearly, glabrous, shrub. Branches grey. Leaves ½-lin., lanceolate or oblanceolate, linear-oblong, flowers solitary ; pedicels shorter than or equalling the Calyx ; rarely longer. Calyx ⅛in., often sub-bilabiate, 5-lobed irregularly, teeth rarely less than 5. Corolla ½in., from purple to nearly white ; tube cylindric, widening upwards, lobes not half so long as the tube. Stamens exsert or subincluded ; filaments glabrous at their base. Berry 1/6in. diam., yellow or red globose, many-seeded, edible.

Use : — The berries are used as aphrodisiac (Stewart).

869. Atropa Belladonna, Linn, h.f.b.l, iv. 241.

Vern. : — Sug-ungoor, Ungoor shefa (H.) ; Súchi (Pb.) ; Girbuti (Bomb).

Habitat: — Western Himalaya, Kashmir to Simla, Caucasus and North Persia, Baluchistan. I have seen it in Quetta (K. R. K.).

An erect, glandular, pubescent, or nearly glabrous, herb 2-3ft. Leaves stalked, ovate-lanceolate, 4-8in., entire, long pointed, upper ones usually with a much smaller leaf springing from