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Senna occidentalis - Kasamarda

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Kasamarda, Senna occidentalis

Kasamarda is a leafy, malodorous annual to shrubby plant that can grow up to 2 metres tall but is usually smaller. The plant is often annual, at least in seasonal climates. The plant is sometimes gathered from the wild for local medicinal use, whilst the seed is sometimes used as a coffee substitute. The plant is sometimes cultivated for medicinal purposes.

Uses

Poisoning, Throat infection, Cough, Cold, Asthma, Skin disorders[1].

Food

Senna occidentalis can be used in Food. Young leaves and tender fruits are consumed raw. Seeds are roasted and used as a substitute for coffee.[2]

Parts Used

Chemical Composition

Common names

Language Common name
Kannada Aanesogate, Anechagate
Hindi Bari-kasondi, Chakunda
Malayalam Karintakara, Mattantakara
Tamil Kattuttakarai, Narattantakarai
Telugu Eddhukommaku, Kasinda
Marathi NA
Gujarathi NA
Punjabi NA
Kashmiri NA
Sanskrit Arimarda, Dipana
English Coffee Senna

[3]

Properties

Reference: Dravya - Substance, Rasa - Taste, Guna - Qualities, Veerya - Potency, Vipaka - Post-digesion effect, Karma - Pharmacological activity, Prabhava - Therepeutics.

Dravya

Rasa

Tikta (Bitter), Madhura (Sweet)

Guna

Laghu (Light), Rooksha (Dry)

Veerya

Ushna (Hot)

Vipaka

Katu (Pungent)

Karma

Vata, Pitta, Kapha

Prabhava

Nutritional components

Senna occidentalis Contains the Following nutritional components like - Vitamin-C and E; Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium, Sodium[2]

Habit

Identification

Leaf

Kind Shape Feature
Pinnate Alternate Leaves up to 22 cm long; leaflets 4-5 pairs, 2.5-7 x 1.5-3.5 cm , ovate-lanceolate, apex acute or acuminate, base rounded, glabrous or pubescent; rachis to 18 cm long with a sessile, hemispherical gland at base; stipules 4-7 mm long, linear-lanceolate, acuminate, caducous.

[4]

Flower

Type Size Color and composition Stamen More information
Bisexual Axillary Yellow 10 Flowers c. 2 cm across, in terminal and axillary racemes, to 3 cm long; pedicels 0.8-1.2 cm long; bracts linear-lanceolate. Sepals 6-10 mm long, ovate, obtuse, mucronate. Petals 5, yellow, 1-1.5 cm long, obovate. Stamens 10, unequal, only 7 fertile.

Fruit

Type Size Mass Appearance Seeds More information
A Pod 5-9 x 0.6-0.8 cm Linear, compressed Seeds 20-25, 4-5 x 3-4 mm, ovate or suborbicular, compressed, brown. {{{6}}}

Other features

List of Ayurvedic medicine in which the herb is used

Where to get the saplings

Mode of Propagation

How to plant/cultivate

Like many species within the family Fabaceae, once they have been dried for storage the seeds of this species may benefit from scarification before sowing in order to speed up and improve germination [5]. Senna occidentalis is available through August to December[2].

Commonly seen growing in areas

Photo Gallery

  • Plant

  • Flower

  • Pods

  • Plant

References

  1. ↑ Uses
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 "Forest food for Northern region of Western Ghats" by Dr. Mandar N. Datar and Dr. Anuradha S. Upadhye, Page No.135, Published by Maharashtra Association for the Cultivation of Science (MACS) Agharkar Research Institute, Gopal Ganesh Agarkar Road, Pune
  3. ↑ Vernacular names
  4. ↑ Botonic description
  5. ↑ Cultivation details

External Links

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