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9. Euphorbia indica Lamk. Diet. 2: 423. 1786. (Fig. 199).<br />
Euphorbia hypericifolia Linn.<br />
EUPHORBIACEAE<br />
Sinh. Eladadakiriya; Hindi Dudhi, Dudhikalave, Hakshardana; Sans. Dughika.<br />
An annual herb, 15—45 cm long, spreading or erect, usually with long ascending<br />
branches from the base; stem cylindrical, slightly pubescent; leaves simple, opposite, very<br />
shortly petiolate, 1.2—2.5 cm long, 0.5—1 cm broad, oval—oblong, rounded and usually<br />
unequal at the base, obtuse, faintly denticulate, serrate, slightly pubescent and whitish beneath<br />
with prominent veins; flower heads minute, stalked in small, very shortly peduncled, axillary<br />
cymes: flowers unisexual, monoecious without a perianth, white or pinkish, one female and<br />
many males arranged in a common perianth-like oblong, glabrous involucre, lobes small, lanceolate;<br />
glands with a large, rotundate, white petaloid limb; male flower consisting of a<br />
single pedicelled stamen and the female flower of a superior, pedicelled, perianth-less, 3-locular<br />
ovary, styles 3; capsule very small, lobes rounded, slightly hispid, seeds smooth.<br />
Flowers from September to December.<br />
Illustrations. Burmann, Thes. Zeyl. pi. \05.f. 2. 1739: Herb. Peradeniya, drawing.<br />
Distribution. Occurs in the warmer parts of India and Ceylon and in the tropics generally<br />
except in the Pacific Islands and Australia. It is a common weed in waste and cultivated ground<br />
in Ceylon.<br />
India. Plan. Ganget. Sup. T. Thomson. Pen. Ind. Orient. Herb. Wight 2569, Kew Distribution<br />
1866—8. Ceylon. Thwaites CP. 2125. Northern Prov., Talaimannar, /. M. Silva, July<br />
1916. Central Prov., Peradeniya, Appuhamy, June 1954; Herb. Peradeniya, Sept. 1882;<br />
Jayaweera 1107, March 1954; Hakgala, A.D.A., June 1920. Maldive Islands. Veimandu, Addu<br />
Atoll and Heddufuri, Gardiner, 1899—1900; Minikoi, Gardiner 15, 1899—1900.<br />
Composition. Contains a phenolic-like substance, a volatile oil and a small amount of<br />
alkaloid and glucoside. The latex contains a resin and euphorbon.<br />
Uses. An infusion of the dried leaves is used as a remedy for diarrhoea, dysentery,<br />
menorrhagia, and ieucorhoea. It is given with milk to children for colic. In East Africa, the<br />
latex is used as a purgative and on skin diseases. It is also used medicinally in Angola, white<br />
in Mozambique, it is considered poisonous.<br />
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