''Cassia fistula'', also known as golden shower, purging cassia, Indian laburnum, kani konna, or pudding-pipe tree,U. S. Department of Agriculture, William Saunders; Catalogue of Economic Plants in the Collection of the U. S. Department of Agriculture; Washington D. C.; June 5, 1891 is a

flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (). The term angiosperm is derived from the Ancient Greek, Greek words (; 'container, vessel') and (; 'seed'), meaning that the seeds are enclosed with ...

in the family

Fabaceae Fabaceae () or Leguminosae,International Code of Nomen ...

. The species is native to the

Indian subcontinent The Indian subcontinent is a physiographic region of Asia below the Himalayas which projects into the Indian Ocean between the Bay of Bengal to the east and the Arabian Sea to the west. It is now divided between Bangladesh, India, and Pakista ...

and adjacent regions of

Southeast Asia Southeast Asia is the geographical United Nations geoscheme for Asia#South-eastern Asia, southeastern region of Asia, consisting of the regions that are situated south of China, east of the Indian subcontinent, and northwest of the Mainland Au ...

. It is the official state flower of

Kerala Kerala ( , ) is a States and union territories of India, state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile ...

state and

Delhi Delhi, officially the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, is a city and a union territory of India containing New Delhi, the capital of India. Straddling the Yamuna river, but spread chiefly to the west, or beyond its Bank (geography ...

UT in

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 ...

, as well as the

national tree This is a list of countries that have officially designated one or more trees as their national trees. Most species in the list are officially designated. Some species hold only an "unofficial" status. Additionally, the list includes trees that we ...

and flower of Thailand. It is also a popular

ornamental plant Ornamental plants or ''garden plants'' are plants that are primarily grown for their beauty but also for qualities such as scent or how they shape physical space. Many flowering plants and garden varieties tend to be specially bred cultivars th ...

and is also used in

herbal medicine Herbal medicine (also called herbalism, phytomedicine or phytotherapy) is the study of pharmacognosy and the use of medicinal plants, which are a basis of traditional medicine. Scientific evidence for the effectiveness of many herbal treatments ...

Vernacular Names

*Cassia fistula* is widely known by local names across the Indian subcontinent and other regions due to its prominent medicinal, cultural, and ornamental importance.

Description

The golden shower tree is a medium-sized tree, growing to tall with fast growth. The leaves are

deciduous In the fields of horticulture and botany, the term deciduous () means "falling off at maturity" and "tending to fall off", in reference to trees and shrubs that seasonally shed Leaf, leaves, usually in the autumn; to the shedding of petals, aft ...

, long, and pinnate with three to eight pairs of leaflets, each leaflet long and broad. The flowers are produced in pendulous

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 long, each flower diameter with five yellow petals of equal size and shape. The fruit is a

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 ...

, long and broad, with a pungent odor and containing several seeds. The tree has strong and very durable wood, and has been used to construct "Ehela Kanuwa", a site at

Adam's Peak Adam's Peak is a conical sacred mountain located in central Sri Lanka.Capper, Daniel (2022), ''Roaming Free Like a Deer: Buddhism and the Natural World,'' Cornell University Press. It is well known for the ''Sri Pada'' (; ), a rock formati ...

, Sri Lanka, which is made of ''C. fistula'' (''ahala, ehela'', or ''aehaela'', ඇහැල in Sinhala) heartwood. The golden shower tree is not a nitrogen fixer.

Cultivation

''Cassia fistula'' is widely grown as an

in tropical and subtropical areas. It blooms in late spring/early summer in hot, dry weather. Flowering is profuse, with trees being covered with yellow flowers, many times with almost no visible leaves. It grows well in dry climates. Growth for this tree is best in full sun on well-drained soil; it is relatively drought-tolerant and slightly salt-tolerant. It will tolerate light brief frost, but can get damaged if the cold persists. It can be subject to

mildew Mildew is a form of fungus. It is distinguished from its closely related counterpart, mold, largely by its colour: molds appear in shades of black, blue, red, and green, whereas mildew is white. It appears as a thin, superficial growth consisti ...

leaf spot A leaf spot is a limited, discoloured, diseased area of a leaf that is caused by fungal, bacterial or viral plant diseases, or by injuries from nematodes, insects, environmental factors, toxicity or herbicides. These discoloured spots or lesions ...

, especially during the second half of the growing season. The tree blooms better with pronounced differences between summer and winter temperatures.

Pollinators and seed dispersal

Various species of bees and butterflies are known to be pollinators of ''C. fistula'' flowers, especially

carpenter bee Carpenter bees are species in the genus ''Xylocopa'' of the subfamily Xylocopinae. The genus includes some 500 bees in 31 subgenera. The common name "carpenter bee" derives from their nesting behavior; nearly all species burrow into hard plant m ...

s (''Xylocopa'' sp.). In 1911, Robert Scott Troup conducted an experiment to determine how the seeds of ''C. fistula'' are dispersed. He found that

golden jackal The golden jackal (''Canis aureus''), also called the common jackal, is a wolf-like canid that is native to Eurasia. The golden jackal's coat varies in color from a pale creamy yellow in summer to a dark tawny beige in winter. It is smaller a ...

s feed on the fruits and help in seed dispersal.

Uses

It is used in

Vishu Vishu (Malayalam: വിഷു) is a Hindu festival celebrating the Malayali New Year in Kerala, Tulu Nadu, and Mahe of India. Vishu falls on the first day of the month of ''Medam'', the first month of the Solar calendar used in Malabar of ...

festivals as a traditional trademark in Kerala.

Food

In India, flowers of the golden shower tree are sometimes eaten by people. The leaves have also been used to supplement the diets of cattle, sheep, and goats fed with low-quality forages.

Medical

In Ayurvedic medicine, the golden shower tree is known as ''aragvadha'', meaning "disease killer". The fruit pulp is considered a

purgative 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 ...

, and

self-medication Self-medication, sometime called do-it-yourself (DIY) medicine, is a human behavior in which an individual uses a substance or any exogenous influence to self-administer treatment for physical or psychological conditions, for example headaches or ...

or any use without medical supervision is strongly advised against in Ayurvedic texts. Though it has been used in

herbalism Herbal medicine (also called herbalism, phytomedicine or phytotherapy) is the study of pharmacognosy and the use of medicinal plants, which are a basis of traditional medicine. Scientific evidence for the effectiveness of many herbal treatments ...

for millennia, little research has been conducted in modern times, although it is an ingredient in some mass-produced herbal laxatives. When used as such, it is known as "cassia pods". Within developing countries, approximately 80% of populations prefer the usage of traditional medicine to resolve primary medical symptoms. The medicines and drugs derived from plants along with other herbal formulations are considered low risk and have less side effects in comparison to modern medicine by many locals especially within the Asian communities. In India, a cathartic made from the pulp is sometimes added to tobacco.

Cosmetic

''Cassia fistula'' flower extract displayed an anti-aging properties when introduced to the human skin fibroblast and has a variety of cosmetic and nutritional applications. It displays an ability to cause

hypopigmentation Hypopigmentation is characterized specifically as an area of Human skin, skin becoming lighter than the baseline skin color, but not completely devoid of skin pigment, pigment. This is not to be confused with depigmentation, which is characterize ...

and can be applied as a whitening agent.

Culture

''Cassia fistula'' is both the

and

national flower In a number of countries, plants have been chosen as symbols to represent specific geographic areas. Some countries have a country-wide floral emblem; others in addition have symbols representing subdivisions. Different processes have been used t ...

of Thailand – in Thai ''ratchaphruek'' () and the blossoms are commonly referred to as ''dok khun'' (). Its yellow flowers symbolize Thai royalty. A 2006–2007 flower festival, the Royal Flora Ratchaphruek, was named after the tree. ''Cassia fistula'' is also featured on a 2003 joint

Canadian Canadians () are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of their being ''C ...

-Thai design for a 48- cent stamp, part of a series featuring

national emblem A national emblem is an emblem or seal that is reserved for use by a nation state or multi-national state as a symbol of that nation. Many nations have a seal or emblem in addition to a national flag. Other national symbols, such as national ...

s. The Indian laburnum is the state flower of

. The flowers are of ritual importance in preparation of Kani during the

festival of Kerala which falls in the month of April. The tree has been depicted on a 20-

rupee Rupee (, ) is the common name for the currency, currencies of Indian rupee, India, Mauritian rupee, Mauritius, Nepalese rupee, Nepal, Pakistani rupee, Pakistan, Seychellois rupee, Seychelles, and Sri Lankan rupee, Sri Lanka, and of former cu ...

stamp. The tree is frequently cultivated in Buddhist temples in Sri Lanka where the Sinhala name is ''Ehela'', ඇහැල. The tree is also the provincial tree of the North Central Province of Sri Lanka. In

Laos Laos, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic (LPDR), is the only landlocked country in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by Myanmar and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the southeast, and Thailand to the west and ...

, its blooming flowers known locally as ''dok khoun'' are associated with the Lao New Year. People use the flowers as offerings at the temple, and also hang them in their homes for the New Year in belief that the flowers will bring happiness and good luck to the households. The laburnum is the school tree of

National Taiwan Normal University National Taiwan Normal University (NTNU) is a National university, national comprehensive university in Taipei and New Taipei City, Taiwan. The university enrolls approximately 17,000 students each year. Approximately 1,600 students are Intern ...

, thought to be because of the seed pods' similarity to the whips used by teachers in times past.

Gallery

File:Cassia fistula at Leisure Valley Chandigarh.jpg, alt=Cassia fistula at Leisure Valley, Chandigarh, Cassia fistula at Leisure Valley, Chandigarh File:Golden shower full bloom.jpg, Tree at full bloom File:Cassia fistula-flower-detail.jpg, Flower detail File:Cassia.jpg, Flower in

Chandigarh Chandigarh is a city and union territory in northern India, serving as the shared capital of the states of Punjab and Haryana. Situated near the foothills of the Shivalik range of Himalayas, it borders Haryana to the east and Punjab in the ...

, India File:Pollen grains of Cassia fistula.jpg, Pollen grains File:Golden Shower Seeds.jpg, Seeds File:Amaltas (Cassia fistula) leaves in Hyderabad, AP W 289.jpg, Leaves in

Hyderabad Hyderabad is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Telangana. It occupies on the Deccan Plateau along the banks of the Musi River (India), Musi River, in the northern part of Southern India. With an average altitude of , much ...

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 ...

, India File:(MHNT) Cassia fistula MHNT.bot.2007.26.54.jpg, Fruit File:Tree Bark of Cassia fistula.jpg, Bark in Hong Kong

References

External links

* (2008)
Kerala Symbols
(archived 7 March 2008) {{Authority control

fistula In anatomy, a fistula (: fistulas or fistulae ; from Latin ''fistula'', "tube, pipe") is an abnormal connection (i.e. tube) joining two hollow spaces (technically, two epithelialized surfaces), such as blood vessels, intestines, or other h ...

Flora of tropical Asia Medicinal plants of Asia National symbols of Thailand Plants described in 1753 Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus Trees in Buddhism