A History of Indian Medical Literature v1.c23.384

v1.c23.384

A soma plant grows one leaf on each of the fifteen days of the moon’s increase and loses one leaf on each day of its waning (29.20–22). Some characteristics of the varieties of soma are mentioned. Aṃśumant smells like ghee,259 rajataprabha has a tuberous root (kanda) like that of the plantain,260 muñjavant possesses leaves like those of garlic,261 candramas is of a golden colour and has an aquatic habitat,262 garuḍāhṛta263 and śvetākṣa264 are pale (pāṇḍura) in colour, look like the cast-off skin of a snake, and are found pendent from the branches of trees; all the other varieties are decorated with variegated rings (29.23–25). All the varieties of soma have fifteen leaves and a tuber with a milky juice, are creeper-like in appearance, and possess leaves of various forms (29.26).