Pharmacognostical Studies on 'Jivanti' Part IV - Dregea Volubilis (Linn. F.) Benth

'Jivanti an important Ayurvedic drug, has variously been ascribed to different botanical taxa, Dregea volubilis (Linn.f.) Benth. being one such species. A detailed pharmacognosy of vegetative parts of the above species has been dealt within the present paper. This includes organoleptic and microscopic characters, fluorescence analysis of the drug powder and its behaviour on treating with different chemical reagents, preliminary phytochemical studies of various extractives and their TLG patterns and ash values. Some of the salient diagnostic characters revealed by this study are : diarch primary stele in the ischolar_main, origin of phellogen in the second cortical layer of stem, presence of pericycle as 2 rows of irregularly arranged strands of partially lignified fibres mixed with a few, sclereids, commonly occurring uni- and bi-seriate rays in both the ischolar_main and the stem, a stout obscurely channelled petiole with three leaf traces, development of red colour in the aqueous extract of powdered ischolar_main on heating with phloroglucinol and conc. Hcl.