An annual herb, quite glabrous or sparsely hairy. Stems very many, prostrate and spreading from the root ; leafy, very slender, and much distichously branched, spreading in a whorl from the root, 4-10in. long, whitish brittle. Leaves always small, opposite, 1/6-¼in., very short, obliquely-oblong, rounded- oblong or sub-quadrate, coriaceous, opaque, sometimes as broad as long, spreading at right angles ; if toothed, only at the broad end ; nerveless. Stipules minute, triangular, 2-partite or laciniately toothed. Involucres numerous from the base to the tip of the stems and branches, minute, campanulate, very shortly pedicelled. Bracts at the base of the pedicels, subulate ; lobes triangular, acute, nearly entire ; glands very shortly stipitate. Style very short. Capsule shortly pedicelled, 1/10in. diam. Cocci obtusely keeled, glabrous. Seeds smooth, bluish, when wet mucous.
Use: — In Chutia Nagpur, a preparation of this plant, along with that of Cryptolepis Buchanani is given to nursing mothers when the supply of milk fails or is deficient (Revd. A. Campbell).
1116. E. tirucalli, Linn., h.f.b.i., v. 254 ; Roxb. 390.
Sans. : — Ganderi, trikantaka, vajradruma, dandasinhâ.
Vern. : — Sehnd, thohar, sehunr (H.) ; Lanka sij, lâtadâona (B.) ; Siju (Sant.); Seju, ksharisíju, lanka (Uriya) ; Thora, Thúr (Sind.) Niwal nivali shera, seyr, teg, vajraduhu (Mar.); Thordandalio (Guz.) ; Tirukali, kalli, kombu-kalli (Tam.) ; Jemudu, kalli (Tel.); Kodukalli, mondugalli (Kan.) ; Tirukalli ; kâteruma (Mal.).
Habitat : — A native of Africa, naturalized in Bengal, the Konkan and the Deccan, as also in Sindh. Thrives very well at Karachi.
A large, unarmed, milky shrub or small tree, 10-20 ft. Bark brown or greenish-brown. Wood white or grey, moderately hard. Trunk 6-10in. diam., green, cylindric, densely branched above. Branches terete, smooth, green, jointed, slender like stout rushes, becoming as thick as the little finger. Leaves
