Senna occidentalis (L.) Link (Caesalpiniaceae) by Neetu Kumari Plants of Rajasthan

IUCN Status

: Not Applicable

Author: Neetu Kumari

Hi! Neetu this side, I'm a keen observer of the nature around me since my childhood and I always wanted to share the beauty of the mother nature with others too, so, I'm here to share my observations about plants.

Common Name: Dhadial, Coffee Senna, Kasamarda(कासमर्द)
Synonyms: Cassia occidentalis L.
Reported From: Khetri
Behaviour: Naturally grown
Description:
Wild undershrub.
Native from Maxico to Tropical America but now naturalized in here.
It is an Ayurvedic plant which is used in several traditional medicines to cure various diseases. It possess antibacterial, antifungal, antidiabetic, anti-inflammatory, anticancerous, antimutagenic and hepatoprotective activity.
Seeds can be roasted and and brew into a coffee like drink that's why it has common name as " Coffee Senna ".

Sources:
Cassia occidentalis L.: a review on its ethnobotany, phytochemical and pharmacological profile
J P Yadav et al. Fitoterapia. 2010 Jun.
Flora of Botswana, Flowers of India, Gurcharan Singh.
Image Upload(1):
Title: 1000045930
Caption: Senna occidentalis: Habit, Inflorescence and Fruits
Description: It is an annual undershrub or herb usually woody at base. Inflorescence: Axillary corymbose raceme. Flower: Bracteate (bractcaducous), pedicellate, complete, zygomorphic, bisexual, perigynous, pentamerous, cyclic. Calyx: 5, polysepalous, odd sepal anterior, imbricate, green, inferior. Corolla: 5, polypetalous, ascending imbricate (posterior petal innermost) aestivation, yellow, inferior. Androecium: 6-7 fertile stamens, unequal length, anthers bithecous, basifixed. Gynoecium: Monocarpellary superior ovary, stalked, curved, unilocular, ovules many, placentation marginal, style short, stigma simple. Fruit: Legume; seed with (dull brown in color) hard seed-coat; cotyledon 2, large. It is a host plant of "Mottled Emigrant" butterfly. (You can spot the butterfly in the above image.)
Image Upload(2):
Title: 1000045932
Caption: Senna occidentalis: Leaves
Description: Leaves: Alternate, pari-pinnate compound,4 to 6 pairs of ovate-elliptic pointed leaflets, leaf base pulvinate, gland present at the base of petiole, stipulate, unicostate reticulate. (Tiny white structures present on leaflets are eggs of Mottled Emigrant butterfly.) Source: Sonu Kumar