Page:Indian Medicinal Plants (Text Part 2).djvu/591

spotted with green, purple within towards the base. Spadix up to 10in. long, erect, appendage up to 7in., by ¾in. diam. ; but often more slender, sometimes tapering from the middle to base and apex, purple, smooth. Male flowers of scattered or fascicled minute sessile obcuneate anthers (J. D. H.) Anthers in groups of 4-6, purple or pink ; ovary globose, green, stigma yellow ; style very short, neuters as large as the groups of stamens or larger oval or oblong, disciform, pale, shining. Male and female infloresence distant, with the oblong depressed interposed neuters.

Uses : — The country people use the crushed seed to cure toothache. A small quantity is placed in the hollow tooth and covered with cotton ; it rapidly benumbs the nerve ; they also use it as an external application to bruises on account of its benumbing effect. In the Concan, the seeds rubbed into a paste with water are applied repeatedly to remove glandular enlargements. The taste of the fruit is intensely acrid ; after a few seconds it causes a most painful burning of the tongue and lips, which lasts, for a long time, causing much salivation and subsequent numbness. (Dymock.)

Syn. : — Arum margaritiferum, Roxb. 630.

Vern. : — The Goa name of the plant is Azomut or Uzomut. (Dymock).

Habitat : — Bengal (Roxb.) ; Serampore (Bentham) ; Dacca (Clarke) ; Asnora in the Goa territory (Dymock) ; Hindustan.

Tuberous herbs. Tuber 6in. or less, bulbiferous all over. Leaves l½ft, diam., 3-sect, segments pinnatisect, lateral forked ; leaflets few, 4-6in., linear, acuminate. Petiole 1½-2ft. green. Peduncle 12-18in., stout, pale-green, streaked with darker green. Spathe 5-6in. by 4in. broad, erect, broadly ovate, obtuse, concave, loosely convolute ; below the middle, pale yellow-green, flushed with pink within, dark-purple at base. Spadix very stout, stipitate, obtuse, as long as the spathe ; male inflo- resecence much the longest ; neuters as large as peas, white,