Senna auriculata - Ahulya

Ahulya, Senna auriculata

Ahulya, is a shrub or small tree growing up to 7 metres tall. The bole can be 20cm in diameter. A multi-purpose plant with a wide range of local uses for food, medicines and to supply a range of commodities. It was at one time a major source of tannins, especially in southern India.

Uses

Skin diseases, Excessive bleeding, Excessive thirst, Dysentery, Diabetes

Parts Used

Leaves, {{Parts Used|Flowers}, Bark

Common names

Language	Common name
Kannada	aavarike, honnaavare, honnaavarike, olle thangadi
Hindi	tarvar, anwal
Malayalam	avara, avarakka, avaram
Tamil	aavarai, avaram
Telugu	avaray, merakatangedu, tangedu
Marathi	NA
Gujarathi	NA
Punjabi	NA
Kashmiri	NA
Sanskrit	adarisimbi, ahula, ahulya, ahulyam, avartaki, charmaranga
English

Properties

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

Habit

Shrub

Identification

Leaf

Kind	Shape	Feature
Pinnate	alternate	Leaflets to 2 x 1 cm, oblong-obovate or elliptic, shortly acuminate, pubescent, gland opposite the leaflets, stipitate; petiole 1-1.5 cm, stipules 1 cm, lunate, auricled

Flower

Type	Size	Color and composition	Stamen	More information
Bisexual	axillary and terminal corymbs	Yellow	10	Corymbs axillary and terminal; peduncle 2 cm, pubescent; flowers yellow; larger sepals 1.5 x 1 cm, broadly ovate, obtuse, outer smaller; petals 3-3.5 x 2 cm, ovate, orbicular, clawed; stamens 7 fertile and 3 staminodes.

Fruit

Type	Size	Mass	Appearance	Seeds	More information
A Pod			Pod flat, pubescent, mucronate		{{{6}}}

Mode of Propagation

Seeds, Cuttings.

How to plant/cultivate

Seed - it has a hard seedcoat and needs scarification before sowing to speed up germination. This can usually be done by pouring a small amount of nearly boiling water on the seeds (being careful not to cook them!) and then soaking them for 12 - 24 hours in warm water. By this time they should have imbibed moisture and swollen - if they have not, then carefully make a nick in the seedcoat (being careful not to damage the embryo) and soak for a further 12 hours. Cuttings.

Commonly seen growing in areas

Tropical area

Photo Gallery

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  Leaves

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  Pods

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  Flower

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  Habit

External Links

• [1]
• [2]