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1336 INDIAN MEDICINAL PLANTS.

snakes, at the same time given inwardly about the size of a field bean. It is certainly a most powerful stimulant, in proper hands it might no doubt be used to great advantage in the core of several disorders. (Roxburgh). Dr. Waring remarks that any good effect which could be expected from it, may, however, be more readily obtained from a mustard poultice. The acrid principle is very volatile ; and by the application of heat, or by simple drying, the root becomes innocuous or even wholesome as articles of diet (Ph. Ind.). As an article of food, it relaxes the bowels and thereby relieves hæmorrhoids. The wild plant is used as a medicine for plies (T. R. Moodeliar).

Syn. : — Arum Campanulatum, Roxb. 629.

Sans. : — Arsaghna ; Kanda.

Vern. : — Jangli-suran, Zamin-kand (H.) ; OI (B.) ; Suran (Mar.) ; Karu-naik-kizhangu, or karuna-kalang (Tam.) ; Kanda-godda, poti-konda, manchik-anda (Tel.).

Habitat : — Cultivated throughout India.

A perennial stemless herb, with tuberous roots, often 1½ft. in circumference, flowering before leafing every year from the previous year's tuber. The tuber is really and truly an under-ground stem which bears only one spathe-included spadix, after the maturation of which what looks like a stem above-ground is merely the petiole radically developed from the depressed portion of the globose tuber side by side with the spathe and spadix. The tuber has sometimes many bulbils, each of which gives forth no spathe nor spadix, but only a petiole with leaves. Petiole of the main bulb which has flowered already varies in height from 1½-2½ft. in cultivated varieties, often 4ft. 2-4in. thick, rough, clouded dark and light-green, cylindric, softly fleshy, succulent. Leaf formed of the three radiating horizontal divisions of the petiole, l-3ft. broad. The divisions are di-chotomous, pinnatisect, with a deep channel on the ventral aspect, roundish on the dorsal aspect, slightly scabrous, There