Chemical composition.— The root-bark of this plant afforded a yellowish-brown powder giving an orange-brown tincture with alcohol. The tincture when evaporated left a reddish coloured tasteless resin and some extractive matter. The resin was soluble in ether and in alkaline liquors; from the latter solution it was precipitated in greyish-brown nocks by acids. Warmed with soda, the resin evolved an odour of lemon similar to that of Kamala resin; heated with sulphuric acid a transient purple colour was developed and a fragrant odour evolved. It showed no disposition to crystallize. The watery solution of the alcoholic extract had a sweetish taste in small quantities and was nauseous in larger quantities. It contained a bitterish amorphous alkaloid, a substance reducing Fehling's solution, and an astringent body, striking a green colour with ferric chloride, but giving no precipitates with gelatine. The alkaloid gave no distinct colour reactions with the strong mineral acids.
952, P. tomentosa, Willd., h.f.b.i, iv. 576.
Vern. : — Naguru-Chettu (Tel.) ; Pedanganeree, Kollay-Cotlay wellag (Tam.).
Habitat: — Deccan peninsula and Ceylon, frequent ; from the Circars and Central Provinces southward.
A tree, often 50ft. ; branchlets densely stellate-woolly. Leaves 6 by 3½in., base rounded or subcordate, coriaceous, minutely glandular scabrous above, nerves 7 pair ; petiole lin. Corymbs ¾in. diam., often sessile, upper branches (or nearly all) alternate ; bracts⅓ in., linear. Calyx 1/11in., stellately woolly Corolla ⅛-1/6 in. ,2 lipped, hairy in the throat, greenish-yellow. Drupe ⅓in. diam., deciduously hairy, ovoid, 3-1- seeded.
An aromatic oil is obtained from the root, and used as a remedy in disorders of the stomach (Trimen).
953.P. latifolia, Roxb.
Var. — Mucronata Roxb., h.f.b.i. iv., 578 ; Roxb. 485.
Vern. : — Bakar, bakarcha, basóta agniúm (Hind.); Agniú (Kumaun) ; Ban, khar, gián (Pb.).
Habitat : — N. India, from Kumaon to Bhotan and the Khasia Hills., also common in Bengal Plains.
Uses :— Dr. P. S. Mootooswamy states that the leaves are diuretic, and are given internally and applied externally in dropsy. An infusion of 10 drachms of the leaves and 2 drachms of coriander in ten ounces of boiling water has been used by him with advantage in acute dropsy.
