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