''Senna auriculata'' is a

legum Legum is an English surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Colin Legum (1919–2003), British anti-apartheid activist * Judd Legum (born 1978), American journalist, lawyer, and political staffer * Margaret Legum (1933–2007), Britis ...

inous

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, including only woody plants with secondary growth, plants that are ...

in the subfamily Caesalpinioideae. It is commonly known by its local names matura tea tree, avaram or ranawara , ( kn, ಆವರಿಕೆ ''āvarike'',

Marathi Marathi may refer to: *Marathi people, an Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group of Maharashtra, India *Marathi language, the Indo-Aryan language spoken by the Marathi people *Palaiosouda, also known as Marathi, a small island in Greece See also * * ...

: तरवड,

Malayalam Malayalam (; , ) is a Dravidian language spoken in the Indian state of Kerala and the union territories of Lakshadweep and Puducherry ( Mahé district) by the Malayali people. It is one of 22 scheduled languages of India. Malayalam wa ...

: ആവര, si, රණවරා ''ranawarā'', te, తంగేడు ''taṃgēḍu'', ta, ஆவாரை ''āvārai'') or the English version avaram senna. It is the

State flower This is a list of U.S. state, federal district, and territory flowers. See also *List of U.S. state trees *Lists of U.S. state insignia The following table displays the official flag, seal, and coat of arms of the 50 states, of the federa ...

Telangana Telangana (; , ) is a state in India situated on the south-central stretch of the Indian peninsula on the high Deccan Plateau. It is the eleventh-largest state and the twelfth-most populated state in India with a geographical area of and ...

. It occurs in the dry regions of

India India, officially the Republic of India ( Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the ...

and

Sri Lanka Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්‍රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...

. It is common along the sea coast and the dry zone in Sri Lanka. (Senna auriculata) at kambalakonda 01

Description

Jayaweera (1981) Ranawara or Avaram- Senna auriculata at Sindhrot near Vadodara, Gujrat Pix 047

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 (from the Latin '' glaber'' meaning "bald", "hairless", "shaved", "smooth") 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 o ...

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). Stipules are considered part of the anatomy of the leaf of a typical flowering plant, although in many speci ...

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 ) or racemoid is an unbranched, 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 produced as the sh ...

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

inflorescence An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Morphologically, it is the modified part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed ...

stamen The stamen (plural ''stamina'' or ''stamens'') is the pollen-producing reproductive organ of a flower. Collectively the stamens form the androecium., p. 10 Morphology and terminology A stamen typically consists of a stalk called the filam ...

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

legume A legume () is a plant in the family Fabaceae (or Leguminosae), or the fruit or seed of such a plant. When used as a dry grain, the seed is also called a pulse. Legumes are grown agriculturally, primarily for human consumption, for livestock fo ...

, 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 most animals. This organ pumps blood through the blood vessels of the circulatory system. The pumped blood carries oxygen and nutrients to the body, while carrying metabolic waste such as carbon di ...

glucoside ( sennapicrin) and sap, leaves and bark yield

anthraquinones ''For the parent molecule 9,10-anthraquinone, see anthraquinone'' Anthraquinones (also known as anthraquinonoids) are a class of naturally occurring phenolic compounds based on the 9,10-anthraquinone skeleton. They are widely used industrially and ...

, while the latter contains

tannin Tannins (or tannoids) are a class of astringent, polyphenolic biomolecules that bind to and precipitate proteins and various other organic compounds including amino acids and alkaloids. The term ''tannin'' (from Anglo-Norman ''tanner ...

s. The root is used in

decoction Decoction is a method of extraction by boiling herbal or plant material (which may include stems, roots, bark and rhizomes) to dissolve the chemicals of the material. It is the most common preparation method in various herbal-medicine systems. De ...

s against

fevers Fever, also referred to as pyrexia, is defined as having a temperature above the normal range due to an increase in the body's temperature set point. There is not a single agreed-upon upper limit for normal temperature with sources using val ...

diabetes Diabetes, also known as diabetes mellitus, is a group of metabolic disorders characterized by a high blood sugar level (hyperglycemia) over a prolonged period of time. Symptoms often include frequent urination, increased thirst and increased ...

, diseases of

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

and

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

. 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, lub ...

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, is inflammation of the outermost layer of the white part of the eye and the inner surface of the eyelid. It makes the eye appear pink or reddish. Pain, burning, scratchiness, or itchiness may occur. The ...

. 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 ar ...

, eye diseases,

gonorrhea 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. Infected men may experience pain or burning with ...

, diabetes and

gout Gout ( ) is a form of inflammatory arthritis characterized by recurrent attacks of a red, tender, hot and swollen joint, caused by deposition of monosodium urate monohydrate crystals. Pain typically comes on rapidly, reaching maximal intens ...

. 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