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8. Ipomoea asarifolia (Oesr.) Roem. and Schult. Syst. 4: 251. (Fig. 147).<br />
CONVOLVULACEAE<br />
Ipomoea repens Lamk.—Ipomoea rugosa Choisy.—Ipomoea beladomboe R.and S.—Convolvulus<br />
rugosus Rottl.—Convolvulus repens Moon—Convolvulus beladambu Spreng.<br />
Sinh. Binthambuu, Ela-binthamburu, Ratu-binthamburu; Tarn. Vari, Nali; Hindi<br />
Ganlhian; Sans. Bhumilatha.<br />
A prostrate herb, rooting at nodes, glabrous but with rough, small.warty projections;<br />
eaves simple, alternate, 3.5—6 cm long, 5—7.5 cm broad, reniform, slightly cordate at base,<br />
apiculate or rounded at apex, glabrous, rather thick with prominent veins beneath;-petioles<br />
3—8.5 cm long, erect, often rough with small points; flowers regular, bisexual, on glabrous<br />
pedicels 0.7— 1.7 cm long, thickened upwards, I —3 together, peduncle 1.8—3 cm long, bracts<br />
very small; sepals 5, free, imbricate, unequal, two outer 4.5 mm long, 3 mm broad, broadly oval,<br />
obtuse, apiculate, thick, transversely wrinkled and puckered, three inner 9 mm long, 4.5 mm<br />
broad, oval-oblong, membranous; petals 5, fused into a companulate, pink-purple or white<br />
corolla, about 4 cm long, 37 cm in diameter; stamens 5, epipetaious, filaments unequal, hairy<br />
at the base; ovary superior, 2-carpclIary with two ovules in each loculus, style simple, stigmas 2,<br />
globose; fruit capsule smooth, globose, 8 mm long, seeds yellowish, glabrous.<br />
Flowers during May, June and November.<br />
Illustrations. Rheede, Hort. Ind. Mai. 11: pi. 58. 1678-1703; Wight, Ic. PI. Ind. Orient.<br />
V.pl. 887. 1843—1845.<br />
Distribution. Occurs in South India and Ceylon. It is very common in moist places in<br />
the low-country in Ceylon.<br />
Ceylon. Thwaites C. P. 2850. Sabaragamuwa Prov., Ratnapura, Herb. Peradeniya,<br />
Feb. 1898<br />
Uses. A tonic and alternative and is useful for anaemia, neurasthenia, general debility,<br />
chronic rheumatism and tertiary syphilis. It is used for poulticing sores, boils, skin eruptions,<br />
leprosy and elephantiasis. Along with other ingredients, it is used on fractures. The pounded<br />
leaf roasted in cow ghee is applied as a poultice on injuries of the eye with beneficial results.<br />
Medicinal oils, prepared with u> are used for removing poisonous substances from<br />
the body.<br />
The green variety is frequently used medicinally and so is the red-leaved variety.<br />
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