Sutherlandia frutescens - Balloon pea

Sutherlandia frutescens, cancer bush, Balloon pea

Sutherlandia frutescens is a southern African legume which has traditionally been used as an indigenous medicine for a variety of ailments.It is a shrub with bitter, aromatic leaves. Red-orange flowers appear in spring to mid-summer.

Uses

cancer, HIV/AIDS, TB, heartburn, gastritis, oesophagitis, joint pain.

Parts Used

Dried twigs, Leaves.

Chemical Composition

Seed contains anthraquinones,namely; (aurantio-obtusin, chryso-obtusin,obtusin, chrysoobtusin-2-O-beta-glucoside,physcion,emodin,chrysophanol,obtusifolin,obtusifolin-2-O-beta-D-glucoside, alaternin 2-O-β-Dglucopyranoside)15, brassinosteroids(brassinolide, castasterone, typhasterol,teasterone, and 28-norcastasterone), andmonoglycerides (monopalmitin andmonoolein)16. Phenolic glycosides such asrubrofusarin triglucoside, nor-rubrofusaringentiobioside, demethylflavasperone gentiobioside, torachrysone gentiobioside,torachrysone tetraglucoside and torachrysoneapioglucoside were also isolated 17

Common names

Language	Common name
Kannada	āvarike
Hindi	Tarwar
Malayalam
Tamil	āvārai
Telugu	taṃgēḍu
Marathi	NA
Gujarathi	NA
Punjabi	NA
Kashmiri	NA
Sanskrit	Aaavartaki
English	Avaram senna

Habit

branched 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

Sutherlandia frutescens is a small bush growing up to about 1m high. It is native to dry parts of southern Africa, preferring full sun but tolerant of a wide variety of soil types. It is a tough plant, hardy, fast growing and drought tolerant but short lived

Commonly seen growing in areas

dry regions of India, sea coast, dry zone in Sri Lanka.

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