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3. Terminalia bellirka (Gaertn.) Roxb., PI. Corom. 2: 54. 1798. (Fig. 114).<br />
Terminalia belerica Roxb.—Wyrobalanus bellerica Gaertn.<br />
COMBRETACEAE<br />
Engl. Belleric Myrobalan; Sinh. Bulu; Tarn. Akkam, Akkana, Akkandam, Ambalatti,<br />
Kalanduri, Kalitturumam, Kandugam, Sadagam, Sirottam, Tanri, Vibidagam; Hindi Bahera,<br />
Behara, Behra, Bhaira, Bhairach, Bharla, Buhura, Bulla, Sagona; Sans, Anilaghnaka, Bahcduka,<br />
Bahuvirya, Bhutavasa, Bibhitaki, Harya, Kali, Kalidruma, Kalinda, Kalivriksha, Kaliyugalaya,<br />
Kalpavriksha, Karshaphala, Kasaghna, Kushika, Sanvarta, Tailaphala, Talaphala,<br />
Tilapushpaka, Tusha, Vasanta, Vibhitaka, Vishaghna.<br />
A large, deciduous tree with a straight, buttressed trunk and long, horizontal branches,<br />
bark brown and young parts glabrous; leaves simple, alternate, without stipules, placed at<br />
the ends of branchlets, 10—20 cm long, 7—15 cm broad, obovate—oval, tapering to the base,<br />
rounded or very shortly acuminate at apex, entire with a pellucid margin, glabrous and shining<br />
on both sides, paler beneath, stiff, venation finely reticulate, main veins prominent beneath,<br />
petioles 37—5 cm long, cylindrical without glands at apex; flowers regular, polygamous,<br />
small, pale greenish-yellow, strongly scented, male flowers shortly pedicellate, bisexual flowers<br />
nearly sessile, numerous m axillary spikes or racemes shorter than leaves, often crowded at<br />
ends of branchlets without leaves so as to form terminal panicles, peduncles pubescent, bracts<br />
minute, caducous; sepals 5, fused into a calyx-tube adnate to the ovary and constricted above,<br />
limbs free, campanulate divided into lobes, tomentose outside, the limbs with long hairs within;<br />
petals absent; stamens 10, biseriate, 5 longer ones inserted on the calyx-tube outside an annular,<br />
epigynous, hairy disc alternating with the calyx teeth and the five shorter ones opposite calyx<br />
teeth, anthers opening by slits; ovary inferior, unilocular with 2 or 3 pendulous ovules; fruit<br />
an indehiscent drupe, often somewhat pyriform, narrowed at base, irregular on the surface,<br />
not angled, covered with a fine, close, brownish-yellow tomentum, stone large, woody with a<br />
large seed cavity<br />
Flowers during February.<br />
Illustrations. Roxburgh, PI. Corom. 2: pi. 198. 1798; Wight, III. Ind. Bot. pi. 91.<br />
1841—50; Beddome, Flor. Sylvat. 1: pi. 19. 1868—73; Kirtikar and Basu, Indian Med. PI<br />
pi. 4120. 1933; Herb. Peradeniya. drawing.<br />
Distribution. Grows in the forests of India, Burma, Ceylon and Malaya. It is not very<br />
common in Ceylon, confined to the moist and intermediate regions of the low-country; Kurunegala,<br />
Bibile, Gal-oya, etc.<br />
India. Assam. Herb. Kurz 14. Sivalik and Jaunsar Div., Lachiwala, Gandhe 49, April<br />
1921; Chota Nagpore, Clarke 25077C, Nov. 1874. Concan, Stocks. Maisor and Carnatic:<br />
G. Thomson. Pen. Ind. Or., Herb. Wight 1011/1, Kew Distribution 1866—7. Ceylon. Kurunegala,<br />
Thwaites C.P. 1605; Walker.<br />
Uses. The pericarp of the dry fruit is an ingredient in many decoctions for a variety of<br />
diseases. It is one of the myrobalans which go to form the 'Thippar which is largely used<br />
by every Ayurvedic physician for all the diseases of the human body and enters into the<br />
combination of many of their stock preparations. In India, it is chiefly employed in dropsy,<br />
piles, diarrhoea, leprosy and fever. It is an ingredient in a very useful preparation for sore eyes<br />
even after white spots appear in the cornea. The bark is a mild diuretic and the<br />
gummy exudation is believed to be a demulcent and purgative. The fixed oil extracted from the<br />
seeds is considered a beneficial application for the hair and for rheumatism.<br />
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