Flora Medica

PISTIACE^E.leaves. Flowers short-peduncled from the centre of the leaves, fewand in succession, small, pale-yellow. Spathe inferior, 1-leaved, tubular,irregular tube ; obliquely bell-shaped, woolly on the outside ;with a crescent-shaped,fleshy, yellow gland on the centre of the inside, oppositeto the stigma ;border cordate, woolly on the outside ;margins a littlewaved ;on its middle there is a green, fleshy, crenulate, saucer-shapedbody, from the centre of which rises the antheriferous column. Staniinli; filaments single, from the centre of the upper border of thecalyx. Anthers 5, adjoined to the enlarged apex of the short column.The whole plant is acrid. In Jamaica it communicates this qualityto the water tanks in which it grows, and is said to give rise to thebloody flux. Browne. The Hindoos consider the decoction demulcentand cooling and prescribe it in dysuria ;the leaves are also made intoa poultice for the piles.608