Acacia farnesiana (L.) WILLD

Family : Mimosaceae

Synonym(s) : Mimosa farnesiana L. Acacia smallii(Isely.) Vachellia farensiana (L.) Wight & Arn.

English Name : Cassie Flower

Origin : Exact origin is unknown, but likely tropical America.

Description

Is a medium-sized shrub with many spreading branches and basal stems. 8 m tall; bark light brown, rough; branches glabrous or nearly, purplish to gray, with very small glands; stipules spinescent, usually short, up to 1.8 cm long, rarely longer, never inflated. The leaves are alternate, bipinnately compound with two to six pairs of pinnae, each with 10 to 25 pairs of narrow leaflets 3 to 5 mm in length. The slightly zigzag twigs are dark brown with light-colored dots (lenticels) and paired spines 3 to 20 mm in length at the nodes. Calyx and corolla glabrous, scented; pod indehiscent, straight or curved, 4–7.5 cm long, about 1.5 cm wide, subterete and turgid, dark brown to blackish, glabrous, finely longitudinally striate, pointed at both ends; seeds chestnut-brown, in 2 rows, embedded in a dry spongy tissue, 7–8 mm long, 5.5 mm broad, smooth, elliptic, thick, only slightly compressed; areole 6.5–7 mm long, 4 mm wide.

Habitat

Dry sandy soils in pinelands, hammocks and disturbed areas, forests of India

Parts Used : Seed, pod, aerial part, bark, leaves and flowers

Herb Effects

Antispasmodic, aphrodisiac, astringent, demulcent, diarrhea, febrifuge, rheumatism, and stimulant. Sedative and relaxes muscles (pod); diuretic and abortifacient (aerial part); astringent, flowers are stimulating (bark). The delicious perfume yielded by the pods is alterative. Flowers contain insecticidal compounds.

Active Ingredients

(+)-Catechol, ellagic acid, gallic acid, kaempferol, linamarin, methyl-gallate, salicyclic acid (plant); alanine, arginine, ascorbic acid, beta-carotene, glutamic acid, glycine, histidine, niacin, riboflavin, serine, thiamin, triacontanol, tyrosine (leaf); alpha-ionone, methyl-eugenol, methyl-salicylate, nonacosane, p-cresol, palmitic acid (flower); alpha-spinasterol, campesterol, stigmasterol, tryptophan (seed); alpha-terpineol, anisaldehyde, benzaldehyde, benzoic acid, benzyl-alcohol, beta-ionone, butyric acid, coumarin, cuminaldehyde, eugenol, farnesol, geraniol, linalyl-acetate (flower); lysine, methionine, phenyl-alanine, threonine, valine (leaf, seed).

Medicinal Use

For dysentery, dermatitis and other inflammations of the skin and raucous membranes (green pods); to relieve bronchial passages and for sore throats (dried gum). A tannin-rich extract has been prepared from the leaves and young shoots and used in decoction and applied to inflammed tissue and burns to promote rapid healing.

Dosage

A tincture is prepared in a 1:5 ratio using 80%-100% vodka or its equivalent. Dose is 2.5 to 5 milliliters twice daily.
Mucilage: Dissolve gum in water. A single dose is 1 to 4 tsp.
Syrup: Mix 1 part mucilage with 3 parts of a plain sugar syrup. Dose is 1 to 4 tsp.

Reference