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29. COMBRETACEAE
1. Anogelssus latifolia Wall. Cat. 4015. 1828. (Fig. 112)..
Conocarpus latifolia DC.
Engl. Button Tree; Sinh. Dawu; Tarn. Namai, Vekkali, Vellanagai, Vellainamai;
Hindi Bakla, Bakli, Bankli, Dhaoya, Dhau, Dhaura, Dhauri, Dhauta, Dhava, Dohu; Sans.
Baka. Dhava, Dhavala, Dhurandhara, Dridhataru, Gaura, Ghata, Kashaya, Madhuratvacha,
Madhuratvaka, Nanditaru, Pandura, Pandutaru, Pishachavriksha, Pitaphala, Shakatakhya,
Shushkanga, Shushkavriksha, Sthira.
A small or medium-sized tree'with an erect trunk, very smooth whitish-grey bark and
glabrous young parts; leaves simple, alternate or subopposite without stipules, 5-10 cm
long, 3-5 cm broad, broadly oblong-oval or sub-rotundate, rounded or sub-cordate at base,
obtuse often apiculate at apex, entire, more or less undulate, quite glabrous, pale, dull glaucous
green, pink when young, often conduplicate, midrib prominent beneath and pink in colour,
petioles very short, channelled above; flowers pale greenish-yellow, bisexual, regular, sessile
in small dense heads, peduncles slightly pubescent, scarcely longer than petioles; sepals 5, fused
to the ovary and extending above it as a long solid tube and persistent, limb campanulate with
five short and broad segments; petals absent;stamens 10, inserted on the calyx limb in two rows,
ovary inferior, compressed, unilocular with two pendulous ovules; fruits very small, indehiscent,
crowded in small globular heads, plano-convex with a rather broad wing along the edges and
beaked with the long, persistent, upper part of the calyx-tube.
Flowers during January and February.
Illustrations, Wight, Ic. PL Ind. Orient. 3: pi 994. 1843-45; Beddome, Flor, Sylvat.
pi 15. 1868-73; Kirtikar and Basu, Indian Med. PI. pi 418. 1933; Herb. Peradeniya, drawing.
Distribution. Occurs throughout India and Ceylon. It is rare in Ceylon growing in
open grasslands in the dry country, often gregarious. Haragama, Bintenne, Nilgala, etc.
India. W. Himalaya: Griffith. Calcutta, Wallich 40150. Behar: Parasnath, Clarke
201767; Clarke 20176F, Sept. 1873; J. D. Hooker. Siwalik and Jaunsar Div. Lachiwala, Choudhury
55, May 1921. Maisor and Camatic, G. Thomson. Malabar, Concan, etc.. Stocks, Law, etc. Pen.
Ind. Or., Herb. Wight 1003, Kew Distribution 1866-7. Ceylon. Thwaites CP. 1220. Uva Prov.,
Nilgala, Herb. Peradeniya, Jan. 1888.
Uses. I sed in the treatment of snake-bites. The bark is used for the preparation of
a remed) against painful expectoration and obstruction of the windpipe by phlegm.
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