Cassia sophera L.

English Name : Sickle Cassia

Family : Caesalpiniaceae

Description

An erect shrub or undershrub; stem glabrous or young parts sparsely pubescent. Leaves paripinnate; rachis 12 to 14 cm long, glands conical, on the petiole and between the leaflets above; leaflets 8 to 10 pairs, elliptic-lanceolate or ovate-lanceolate, margin ciliate, apex acute or acuminate, apiculate, base usually rounded. Flowers few in axillary or terminal corymbs; peduncle 4 to 5 cm long, pubescent; pedicels to 2 cm long. Calyx lobes 5, free, unequal. Petals 5, free, yellowish, unqual, innermost the smallest. Fertile stamens 6, 2 with long filaments; staminodes 3 or 4; anthers 2-celled. Ovary hariy, 1-locular; ovules many; style terminal; stigma simple. Pod 10 x 0.5 cm, compressed, glabrous; seeds many.

Habitat
Forests of tropical India.

Parts Used : Leaf, bark, flower, seed and plant

Herb Effects
Relaxes muscles of the bronchial tubes and intestines (leaf alcohol extract); alleviates spasms (plant); anthelmintic and antiseptic (leaves); expectorant (whole plant).

Active Ingredients
Flavonol glycoside and anthraquinone (flower); pentahydroxy-7-methoxyflavon-8-C-L-rhamnophyranoside (leaf).

Medicinal Use
Diabetes, bronchitis, in diminishing burning pain in the urethra during and after micturition (plant decoction); skin diseases (leaf).

Dosage
An infusion of the bark or the powdered seeds, with honey, is given in diabetes.

Reference