Vern. ‘chitra’, ‘nagdaun’.

Large deciduous shrub. Young shoots arising from terminal buds with persistent scales Leaves opposite; leaflets 7-15 cm long, 3-7 cm broad, ovate to elliptic ovate, serrulate, acuminate, lower surface pale and usually pubescent; lateral leaflets more or less sessile; the terminal leaflet petiolule 2.5-5 cm long; common petiole up to 16 cm long; stipules 2, oblong lanceolate to spathulate, 1.5-2 cm long, deciduous; stipels 2, linear, 2-4 mm long, deciduous. Panicles 5-7 cm long, flowering when shoots are young. Flowers white, 1-1.5 cm long, pedicel slightly longer, up to 2.5 cm long in fruit; bracts 4-7 mm long, linear, deciduous. Sepals oblong lanceolate, 7-8 mm long, persistent. Petals more or less spathulate, about the size of the sepals or slightly longer, persistent. Stamens persistent; filaments c. 7 mm long, lower half pubescent; anthers 2 mm long. Styles 3, coherent, c. 8 mm long, glabrous; stigmas capitate. Capsule 6-8 cm long, inflated and membranous, dehiscing longitudinally downwards from the apex. Seeds few, subglobose, 7.5 mm broad, more or less compressed, shiny yellowish brown, hilum prominent.

Fl. Per. April-May.

Type : Srinagar, R. Blinkworth (K-W).

Distribution: Afghanistan and W. Himalayas.

A shrub of forest undergrowth and moist ravines, with inflated capsules and whitish streaked bark. Not common; found in Himalayas from 2000-3000 m. alt. s. m. ‘The snake stick’ is used in making walking sticks.