Page:Indian Medicinal Plants (Text Part 2).djvu/541

Habitat: — Eastern Himalaya, Sikkim, Bhotan, Assam, Behar at Monghyr, on Parasnath. Central Provinces, frequent, especially on the plateau land in Balaghat and Bilaspur.

Root fibres cylindric. Leaves 6-18 by l½-2in., oblanceolate, obtuse, acute or acuminate, usually narrowed into a broad petiole. Scape 6-20in., stout, naked ; raceme 3-8in., elongate, simple or shortly branched ; bracts ¾-½in. or lower, longer ; pedicels ¼-½in. jointed in the middle. Perianth-segments ⅛-½in., lanceolate, white. Anthers longer than the filaments. Capsule fin. broad, 2-lobed at the tip and base ; cells 3-4 seeded. Seeds ⅜in. diam. ; sub-orbicular, flat, black. In small specimens, the leaves are narrower and broadest at the base. (Hooker.)

Uses : — Saféd musli appears in the market in white dry pieces '5-2-5"; long and '25" thick. They swell in water to a cylindrical fusiform shape, and are said to be used (like Kâlâ Musali) as a tonic. (Haines.)

N.B.— No other writer, except Mr. H. H. Haines, I.F.S. considers Safed musli to be the product of this plant (Indian Forester, Vol. XL (1914), p. 477.) B. D. B.

Genus Allium, Linn, strong smelling, scapigrous herbs. J. D. Hooker calls them " fotid." Well he may. A congener A. ascalonicum is surnamed A. fragrans B. nepalensis. I don't call them fœtid. Of course opinions differ. They are, no doubt, strong smelling, some with ammonical odours. (K.R.K.) Bulbs coated. Leaves usually narrow, often fistular. Flowers capitate or umbelled, all at first enclosed in 1-3 membranous spathes, stelluate or campanulate ; sepals free or connate below. Stamens hypogynous or inserted on the perianth ; filaments free or connate below, anthers oblong. Ovary 3-gonous, 3-celled. Style filiform ; stigma minute ; cells few-ovuled. Capsule small, loculicidal. Seeds few, compressed ; testa black.

Vern. : — Ek-kanda-lasun or ek-kali-lasan (one-clove garlic)

Eng. :— The Shallot.