''Senna auriculata'' is a leguminous

tree In botany, a tree is a perennial plant with an elongated stem, or trunk, usually supporting branches and leaves. In some usages, the definition of a tree may be narrower, e.g., including only woody plants with secondary growth, only ...

in the

subfamily In biological classification, a subfamily (Latin: ', plural ') is an auxiliary (intermediate) taxonomic rank, next below family but more inclusive than genus. Standard nomenclature rules end botanical subfamily names with "-oideae", and zo ...

Caesalpinioideae Caesalpinioideae is a botanical name at the rank of subfamily, placed in the large family Fabaceae or Leguminosae. Its name is formed from the generic name '' Caesalpinia''. It is known also as the peacock flower subfamily. The Caesalpinioideae a ...

. It is commonly known by its local names matura tea tree, avaram or ranawara , ( ''āvarike'',

Marathi Marathi may refer to: *Marathi people, an Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group of Maharashtra, India **Marathi people (Uttar Pradesh), the Marathi people in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh *Marathi language, the Indo-Aryan language spoken by the Mar ...

: तरवड,

Malayalam Malayalam (; , ) is a Dravidian languages, Dravidian language spoken in the Indian state of Kerala and the union territories of Lakshadweep and Puducherry (union territory), Puducherry (Mahé district) by the Malayali people. It is one of ...

: ആവര, ''ranawarā'', ''taṃgēḍu'', ''āvārai'') or the English version avaram senna. It is the State flower of Indian state of

Telangana Telangana is a States and union territories of India, state in India situated in the Southern India, south-central part of the Indian subcontinent on the high Deccan Plateau. It is the List of states and union territories of India by area, ele ...

. It occurs in the dry regions of

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

and

Sri Lanka Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, also known historically as Ceylon, is an island country in South Asia. It lies in the Indian Ocean, southwest of the Bay of Bengal, separated from the Indian subcontinent, ...

. It is common along the sea coast and the dry zone in Sri Lanka.

Description

Jayaweera (1981) Avaram senna is a much branched shrub with smooth cinnamon brown bark and closely pubescent branchlets. The leaves are alternate, stipulate, paripinnate compound, very numerous, closely placed, rachis 8.8-12.5 cm long, narrowly furrowed, slender, pubescent, with an erect linear gland between the leaflets of each pair, leaflets 16-24, very shortly stalked 2-2.5 cm long 1-1.3 cm broad, slightly overlapping, oval oblong, obtuse, at both ends, mucronate,

glabrous Glabrousness () is the technical term for a lack of hair, down, setae, trichomes, or other such covering. A glabrous surface may be a natural characteristic of all or part of a plant or animal, or be due to loss because of a physical condition, ...

or minutely downy, dull green, paler beneath,

stipule In botany, a stipule is an outgrowth typically borne on both sides (sometimes on just one side) of the base of a leafstalk (the petiole (botany), petiole). They are primarily found among dicots and rare among monocots. Stipules are considered part ...

s very large, reniform-rotund, produced at base on side of next petiole into a filiform point and persistent. Its flowers are irregular, bisexual, bright yellow and large (nearly 5 cm across), the pedicels glabrous and 2.5 cm long. The

raceme A raceme () or racemoid is an unbranched, indeterminate growth, indeterminate type of inflorescence bearing flowers having short floral stalks along the shoots that bear the flowers. The oldest flowers grow close to the base and new flowers are ...

s are few-flowered, short, erect, crowded in axils of upper leaves so as to form a large terminal

inflorescence In botany, an inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a plant's Plant stem, stem that is composed of a main branch or a system of branches. An inflorescence is categorized on the basis of the arrangement of flowers on a mai ...

stamen The stamen (: stamina or stamens) is a part consisting of the male reproductive organs of a flower. Collectively, the stamens form the androecium., p. 10 Morphology and terminology A stamen typically consists of a stalk called the filament ...

s barren; the ovary is superior, unilocular, with marginal ovules. The fruit is a short

legume Legumes are plants in the pea family Fabaceae (or Leguminosae), or the fruit or seeds of such plants. When used as a dry grain for human consumption, the seeds are also called pulses. Legumes are grown agriculturally, primarily for human consum ...

, 7.5–11 cm long, 1.5 cm broad, oblong, obtuse, tipped with long style base, flat, thin, papery, undulately crimpled, pilose, pale brown. 12-20 seeds per fruit are carried each in its separate cavity.

Uses

Gardens

''Senna auriculata'' is suitable for landscaping roadways and home gardens. It tolerates drought and dry conditions, but not much cold. The flowers in racemes are also attractive.

Medicinal uses

The plant has been reported to treat hyperglycemia and associated hyperlipidemia This plant is said to contain a

cardiac The heart is a muscular organ found in humans and other animals. This organ pumps blood through the blood vessels. The heart and blood vessels together make the circulatory system. The pumped blood carries oxygen and nutrients to the tissu ...

glucoside A glucoside is a glycoside that is chemically derived from glucose. Glucosides are common in plants, but rare in animals. Glucose is produced when a glucoside is hydrolysed by purely chemical means, or decomposed by fermentation or enzymes. Th ...

( sennapicrin) and sap, leaves and bark yield anthraquinones, while the latter contains

tannin Tannins (or tannoids) are a class of astringent, polyphenolic biomolecules that bind to and Precipitation (chemistry), precipitate proteins and various other organic compounds including amino acids and alkaloids. The term ''tannin'' is widel ...

s. The root is used in decoctions against fevers,

diabetes Diabetes mellitus, commonly known as diabetes, is a group of common endocrine diseases characterized by sustained high blood sugar levels. Diabetes is due to either the pancreas not producing enough of the hormone insulin, or the cells of th ...

, diseases of

urinary system The human urinary system, also known as the urinary tract or renal system, consists of the kidneys, ureters, urinary bladder, bladder, and the urethra. The purpose of the urinary system is to eliminate waste from the body, regulate blood volume ...

and

constipation Constipation is a bowel dysfunction that makes bowel movements infrequent or hard to pass. The Human feces, stool is often hard and dry. Other symptoms may include abdominal pain, bloating, and feeling as if one has not completely passed the ...

. The leaves have

laxative Laxatives, purgatives, or aperients are substances that loosen stools and increase bowel movements. They are used to treat and prevent constipation. Laxatives vary as to how they work and the side effects they may have. Certain stimulant, lubri ...

properties. The dried flowers and flower buds are used as a substitute for tea in case of

patients. It is also believed to improve the complexion. The powdered seed is also applied to the eye, in case of chronic purulent

conjunctivitis Conjunctivitis, also known as pink eye or Madras eye, is inflammation of the conjunctiva, the thin, clear layer that covers the white surface of the eye and the inner eyelid. It makes the eye appear pink or reddish. Pain, burning, scratchiness ...

. In Africa the bark and seeds are said to give relief in

rheumatism Rheumatism or rheumatic disorders are conditions causing chronic, often intermittent pain affecting the joints or connective tissue. Rheumatism does not designate any specific disorder, but covers at least 200 different conditions, including a ...

, eye diseases,

gonorrhea Gonorrhoea or gonorrhea, colloquially known as the clap, is a sexually transmitted infection (STI) caused by the bacterium ''Neisseria gonorrhoeae''. Infection may involve the genitals, mouth, or rectum. Gonorrhea is spread through sexual c ...

, diabetes and

gout Gout ( ) is a form of inflammatory arthritis characterized by recurrent attacks of pain in a red, tender, hot, and Joint effusion, swollen joint, caused by the deposition of needle-like crystals of uric acid known as monosodium urate crysta ...

. The plant has been shown to have

antibacterial An antibiotic is a type of antimicrobial substance active against bacteria. It is the most important type of antibacterial agent for fighting bacterial infections, and antibiotic medications are widely used in the treatment and prevention ...

activity in the laboratory.Maneemegalai, S. and T. Naveen. (2010
Evaluation of antibacterial activity of flower extracts of ''Cassia auriculata''.
''Ethnobotanical Leaflets'' 14 8-20.

References

Footnotes

* (1981): ''A Revised Handbook to the Flora of Ceylon'' (Vol. II). Smithsonian Institution and National Science Foundation, Washington D.C., Amerind Publishing Co Pvt Ltd, New Delhi. * (1998): ''A selection of indigenous trees for traditional landscapes in Sri Lanka''. Deveco Designers and publishers (Pvt) Ltd. * (1981a): ''Medicinal plants (indigenous and exotic) used in Ceylon'' (Part I). The National Science Council of Sri Lanka, Colombo 7. * (1981b): ''Medicinal plants (indigenous and exotic) used in Ceylon'' (Part II). The National Science Council of Sri Lanka, Colombo 7. * (1981c): ''Medicinal plants (indigenous and exotic) used in Ceylon'' (Part III). The National Science Council of Sri Lanka, Colombo 7. * (1982): ''Medicinal plants (indigenous and exotic) used in Ceylon'' (Part IV). The National Science Council of Sri Lanka, Colombo 7. * (1992): ''Medicinal plants (indigenous and exotic) used in Ceylon'' (Part V). The National Science Council of Sri Lanka, Colombo 7. * (1983): ''Landscape Plants in Design: A Photographic Guide ''. AVI Publishing Company, Westport, Connecticut. * (2002): ''Compendium of Medicinal plants. A Sri Lankan study'' (Vol. 1+2). Ayurvedic Department, Sri Lanka. * (1999): ''Field Guide on Medicinal Plants.'' Forest Department, Andhra Pradesh, India. * (2007)
USDA Plants Profile: ''Cassia auriculata''
Retrieved 2007-DEC-20.

External links

Cassia auriculata

Ranawara Tea
{{Taxonbar, from=Q2724356 auriculata Medicinal plants Plants described in 1753 Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus