Indian Medicinal Plants/Natural Order Ternstrœmiaceæ

by Kanhoba Ranchoddas Kirtikar and Baman Das Basu

N. 0. TERNSTRŒMIACEÆ

135. Sehima Wallichii, Choky, h,f.b.i.,. I. 289.

Syn. — Gordonia integrifolia, Roxb. 426.

Vern.:— Makusal, Chilauni, makriyá Chilauni(H.); Dingan (Khasia); Boldak (Garo.) Jam (Cachar); Sumbrong (Lepcha); Gugera (Goalpara).

Habitat: — Eastern Himalaya, from Sikkim to Bhotan. Assam, Chittagong and the Khasia Mountains.

A large evergreen, with papery leaves, 80-l00ft. Bark, black or dark grey, with deep vertical cracks. Wood rough, red, moderately hard, shrinks much in seasoning, but is durable. Buds, branchlets, petioles and upperside of leaves pubescent, sometimes tomentose. Leaves 6-7 by 2-3in., elliptic, tapering or rounded below, acute or slightly acuminate, glabrous and reddish-veined above, reticulate, and more or less pubescent beneath, entire or obscutely crenate-serrate, with forked lateral veins., petiole ½in., pubescent. Peduncles rather slender, ¾-2in.. with minute white warts. Bracts ¼in., alternate, narrow, oblong, retuse. Flowers 1½-2in. diam., white, fragrant. Sepals 1/6in. long, with pubescent-ciliate margins, glabrous, or slightly pubescent outside; petals pubescent outside at the base. Stamens yellow. Fruit ¾in. diam.. pubescent when young, afterwards minutely warted.

Use : — "The bark is nearly black externally, with deep clefts; the liber is made up of an abundance of white, needle- shaped cells, which are readily detached and act as cowage, in producing painful irritation, when brought into contact with the skin." — Gamble.

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