Page:Indian Medicinal Plants (Text Part 2).djvu/546

The reserve material of the bulbs and other underground parts of certain monocotyledons (such as garlic, hyacinth, narcissus and tuberose) is a kind of inulin. To separate this substance, the bulbs, &c. are cut into small fragments, and digested with ether, to cause the expulsion of the sap from the cells ; the sap collecting at the bottom of the vessel, together with a further amount remaining in the fragments, and liberated by pressure, is purified with basic lead acetate and animal charcoal, and the inulin precipitated by baryta water. The insoluble baryta compound of the carbo-hydrate is decomposed by carbonic anhydride, and the inulin precipitated with alcohol-ether as a syrup. Finally, this is dried in succession by washing with alcohol and ether, and then under diminished pressure, and at 100°.

{{{1}}}

The sap from the offshoots of the garlic bulbs contains only traces of reducing sugars, and yields nothing but levulose on hydrolysis, so that it contains no reserve material but inulin.— J. Ch. S. 1896 A. I. 5.

Sans. : — Vana-palândam.

Vern. :— Kándá, janglí-piyáz, kánde (Hind.); Jongli piaáj, ban-piaáj, kánde (Beng.) ; Iskíl, kúndri, kunda, korikan. (U. P.) ; Ghesuwa (Kumaon) ; Phaphor, kachwassal (Pb.) ; Ránácha-kandá (Mar.); Jangli-kánda, rankando (Guz.) ; Nari-vengáyarn (Tam.); Nakka vulli-gadda (Tel.) ; Adavi-irulli (Kan.) ; Káttulli (Malay).

Habitat : — Simla, Dekkan, the Coromandel coast, Shaharanpur, Siwalik and also in the Tons valley. Sindh, on the lower hills. Bundelkhand and adjoining Central India States.

A small, annual, flabrous, herbaceous plant ; flowers appearing before leaves. Bulbs of the size of a small orange or apple, bitter, nauseous, ½in. in diam. or more. Leaves radical, 6-18in. by ½in. Scapes 12-I8in., erect Bracts soon disappearing. Stalks 1-1½in. slender. Flowers drooping or spreading, distant,