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into the bark." (Brandis.) Common also in the Punjab ; and planted in the U. P.
A large, deciduous tree, usually gregarious. Bark thick, with irregular, vertical furrows. Wood moderately hard, compact, even-grained. Sap wood white ; heartwood red, often nearly black near the centre. Height 40-50ft ; trunk attaining 8ft. in girth. Extremities sometimes hoary, buds slightly pubescent, not viscid ; branches terete. Leaves polymorphous ; " those of seedlings, young trees, pollard— and coppice-shoots linear, short petiolate, 3-6in. long ; those of older trees on branches, with short internodes, as a rule broad — ovate, rhomboid or cordate ; blade 2-3in. ; petiole l-2in. The broader leaves are dentate, cut or lobed, while the narrow leaves are generally entire. Intermediate forms frequent on the same tree and on the same branch." (Brandis.) Catkins lax-fid. Male flowers :-- bracts oblanceolate, incised ; disk orbicular, 8-cleft ; stamens 8-12. Female flowers: — disk tubular, 8-12 cleft, membranous, caducous. Capsule turgidly lanceolate, ovoid, sub-sessile, 3-valved, ¼-½in., on a long, slender pedicel.
Use : — The bark is used as a vermifuge in the Punjab and Sind. (Stewart.)
1211. P. alba, Linn., h.f.b.i., v. 638.
Vern. : — Chitta bagnu, safeda, jangli-frast, fras, chanûn (Pb.); Sperdor, spelda (Afg.); Fras (Kashmir).
Habitat : — N.-W. Himalaya, from Kunawur westwards.
A lofty tree in Europe ; in India exceeding 40ft. (Brandis.) Leaf-buds, shoots and leaves beneath, white with cottony tomentum. Leaves oblong— ovate or broadly ovate, dull-green above, or orbicular, sinnately lobed or toothed, palmately on young shoots ; petiole l-2in., laterally compressed. Base 5-nerved, more or less cordate ; catkins hairy. Males 1½-4 ; stamens 6-10. Females slender shoots. Tips crenate, ciliate. Disk stellate ; stigmas 2-2, partate ; arms linear. Carpels pedicelled, 2-valved. Capsule lin., shortly pedicelled.
Uses : — The bark contains some salicine and acts as a tonic ; used for purifying the blood and in skin diseases. Bark said to be useful in strangury. (Punjab Products.)