Acacia concinna - Bahuphenarasa

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Acacia concinna, Bahuphenarasa

Acacia concinna, "Shikakai"

Acacia sinuata

Bahuphenarasa is a climbing shrub native to Asia, common in the warm plains of central and south India. It is commonly called as shikakai, Acacia hooperiana, Mimosa concinna etc. It's fruit is know as shikakai in India and ಸಿಗೆಕಾಯಿ in kannada. It is one of the good herbal remedy for hair.

Uses

Black fever, Malaria, diabetes, skin diseases.

Parts Used

fruits, Bark, Leaves.

Chemical Composition

In commercial extracts, when the plant is hydrolyzed it yields lupeol, spinasterol, acacic acid, lactone, and the natural sugars glucose, arabinose and rhamnose. It also contains hexacosanol, spinasterone, oxalic acid, tartaric acid, citric acid, succinic acid, ascorbic acid, and the alkaloids calyctomine and nicotine.

Common names

Language	Common name
Kannada	Sheegae, Shige kayi, Sigeballi
Hindi	Kochi, Reetha
Malayalam	Cheeyakayi, Chinik-kaya, Shikai, Cheenikka
Tamil	Shika, Sheekay, Chikaikkai
Telugu	Cheekaya, Chikaya, Gogu
Marathi	NA
Gujarathi	NA
Punjabi	NA
Kashmiri	NA
Sanskrit	Aaavartaki
English	Shikakai, Soap-pod

Habit

climbing shrub

Identification

Leaf

Kind	Shape	Feature
alternate	stipulate	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 the ends

.

Flower

Type	Size	Color and composition	Stamen	More information
bisexual	2.5 cm long	bright yellow	5-20	The racemes are few-flowered, short, erect, crowded in axils of upper leaves so as to form a large terminal inflorescence stamens barren; the ovary is superior, unilocular, with marginal ovules.

Fruit

Type	Size	Mass	Appearance	Seeds	More information
short legume	7.5–11 cm long, 1.5 cm broad	clearly grooved lengthwise, Lowest hooked hairs aligned towards crown	oblong, obtuse, tipped with long style base, flat, thin, papery, undulately crimpled, pilose, pale brown.	12-20 seeds	{{{6}}}

List of Ayurvedic medicine in which the herb is used

• Vishatinduka Taila as root juice extract

Mode of Propagation

Seeds, Cuttings.

How to plant/cultivate

Plants reach about 3 m height with 3.5 cm stem diameter in 2 years, in 4 years about 5 m height and 7 cm stem diameter. Flowering and fruiting is almost throughout the year, but in India there are usually two main flowering periods, one in the early monsoon and another in the late monsoon.

Commonly seen growing in areas

trophical region.

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