Asst.-Surgeon Amrita Lai Deb of Howrah, has found it very useful in dysentery. Drs. Bird and Pilcher have also favourably reported on its efficacy in that disease. (Vide I. M. G., Oct., 1878 ; p. 281.)
612. Pavetta Indica, Linn, h.f.b.l, iii. 150.
Syn. : — Ixora Pavetta, Roxb. 129.
Sans: — Pappana.
Vern. :— Kûkûra-chûra (B.) ; Pâpat, tartari (Bom.) ; Pavuttay (Tam.); Malleamothe (Mal.) ; Paputta, Nooni-papoota (Tel.); Kankra (Hind.).
Habitat :— Throughout India, from the Western Himalaya in Garwhal to Bhotan, and southwards to Ceylon.
A large shrub. Bark thin, smooth, brownish grey. Wood white to light brown, hard, close-grained (Gamble). Branches numerous, spreading, twigs cylindric, glabrous, or tomentose. Branchlets obtusely quadrangular, says Brand is. Leaves lanceolate or elliptic-lanceolate, sometimes obovate, acuminate, subacute, glabrous on both sides, dark green and shining above, with scattered large, thickened, hard warts, more prominent above than beneath ; blade 3-9in. (Trimen), 4-9in. (Brandis), petiole ¼-½in., stipules connate, triangular, acute, thin, deciduous. Flowers very numerous on pedicels, longer than Calyx, white, rather fragrant. Cymes copious, lax, corymbose, terminal, glabrous, often with bracts below the branches. Calyx-segments, very small, tooth-like. Corolla-tube about ½in.. Lobes obtuse, about half length of tube ; style exserted for fully ¾in., very slender ; stigma slightly clavate. Fruit ¼-⅝in. diam., nearly glabrous, polished, dark.
Uses: — The root is bitter, possessing aperient qualities, and is commonly prescribed by native doctors in visceral obstructions ; given in powder to children, the dose is about a drachm or more (Ainslie).
Boiled in water, a fomentation is made from the leaves for hæmorrhoidal pains. The root is pulverised and mixed with ginger and rice water, and given in dropsy ( Rheede).
Mr. H. M. Bird wood calls it " Matheran coffee.
