Herb or undershrub up to 2.5 m tall, hispid to prickly; leaves orbicular or broadly ovate, 3-7 lobed, up to 30 cm long, stipules linear; flowers axillary, pedicel up to 8 cm long, epicalyx segments 6-10, up to 20 mm long; calyx up to 3.5 cm long; corolla 10 cm across, yellow with deep purple spot at base of each petal; capsule 5-8 cm long, ovoid or fusiform, densely hispid.
Seeds used as stimulant and carminative, the musk seed oil or ambrette seed oil used in perfumery, flowers used for flavouring tobacco; tender leaves eaten in soups.
Grown in Herbal Garden, Punjabi Bagh and Herbal Garden of Hamdard University, both in Delhi
Dr. Gurcharan Singh
Retired Associate Professor
SGTB Khalsa College, University of Delhi, Delhi-110007
Res: 932 Anand Kunj, Vikas Puri, New Delhi-110018.
Phone: 011-25518297 Mob: 9810359089
http://people.du.ac.in/~singhg45/