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