Caesalpinia sappan L.

Family : Caesalpiniaceae

Synonym(s) : Biancaea sappan (L.)Tod.

English Name : Brazil Wood Tree

Description

A spreading tree or shrub, up to 10 m in height. Branchlets dull, lenticellate, usually armed with paired, recurved prickles; leaves large hairy to glabrous, pinnae 9-14 pairs, hairy, leaflets 10-20 pairs per pinna, oblong, membranous, obliquely truncate; flowers yellow, in supra-axillary and terminal racemes combining into a large panicle; pods green, 3-4 seeded, beaked; seeds ellipsoid, black.

Habitat

Forests West Bengal, southern India, Orissa and Madhya Pradesh.

Parts Used : Stem, seed and wood

Herb Effects

Semen coagulant and anticancer (stem); antiinflammatory (heartwood); astringent and emmenagogue (infusion of wood).

Active Ingredients

Beta-amyrin glucoside, brazilin, aspartic acid, glycine, alanine, proline, leucine, sappanin, valine and threonine (heartwood).

Medicinal Use

Dysentery and diarrhea, and its paste in rheumatism, haemorrhages and to treat wounds (wood decoction).

Dosage

Fifteen to forty-five grains (1-3 Gm.).
Decoction: four fluidrachms to two fluidounces (15-60 mils).

Contraindication

Used with caution in pregnancy.

Reference