Digital Garden

 Senna siamea 

Kassod

Scientific name- Senna siamea 

Common name- Kassod 

Family-Fabaceae 

Habit type-Tree 

Leaves 

Leaves are alternate, pinnately, green, opposite, leaflets 6-14 in pairs with short stalk of 3mm, oblong, 4-7× 1.5-3 cm width, rounded at both ends, glabrous, primary vein 1 and secondary vein 6-8 pairs per leaf, petiole short. 

Bark 

Tree is about 200-300 cm tall , the trunk is straight, up to 30 cm in diameter, with a rounded and dense crown. The bark is light grey or brown, smooth in young trees, becoming slightly cracked and rough with age. 

Inflorescence 

raceme, corymb, axillary peduncle, 2-4cm long. 

Flowers 

● Flowers are zygomorphic , bisexual, bright yellow 2-3 cm across, sub persistent bract, pedicel 1-2cm long, pentamerous, 

● sepals 5, unequal, imbricate, obtuse at apex, yellowish green, 0.4-0.5 × 0.2-0.3 cm, pubescent, ovate, concave, hairy on outside, connate at the base, 

● petals 5, bright yellow, dark colour vein, sub equal, obtuse, orbicular, upper petal shortly clawed, 0.5- 1 × 0.3-0.5 cm. ● Androecium 10, unequal, 3 reduced to staminoids, 2-4 mm long; 0.8-1 cm long filament, 6-7mm long anthers, 4 lateral stamen, 0.5-0.8 cm long filament, 4-5 mm anther, yellowish green filament, brownish yellow anther, anther basifixed, filament straight. 

● Gynoecium is hypogynous, monocarpellary, style is green, 0.8-1.2 

cm long, stigma greenish brown. 

Fruit 

● long, narrow, 5-25 × 10-12 mm, flat , dark brown, strap shaped, stipitate, terete to compressed, dehiscent, with septae between the numerous seeds; seeds are bean shaped, shiny and dark. 

● They are green ribbons like when young turning to brown when mature. The seeds are subglobose to ovate, numerous (20-30). 

FACTS & MEDICINAL USES 

● In traditional medicine, the fruit is used to treat intestinal worms and to prevent convulsions in children. 

● The heartwood is said to be a laxative (treat constipation), and a decoction (concentrated extract of heartwood) is used against scabies. 

● Traditionally Senna siamea is used for the treatment of typhoid fever, jaundice, abdominal pain, menstrual pain and is also used to reduce sugar level in the blood. 

● Ethnomedicinally S. siamea is used as a laxative, blood cleaning agent, cure for digestive system and genitourinary disorders, herpes and rhinitis. 

● Plant has excellent tranquilizer and calming properties that help counter the effects of stress and anxiety. 

● Fresh and dried leaves can be decocted and enjoyed with lemon juice to treat malaria and liver disorders. 

● Leaves are picked, cleaned, and chewed with the liquid being swallowed to treat abdominal pains in Uganda. 

● Prepared leaves are taken in capsule form as a laxative and sleep aid in Thailand. 

● Macerated roots are used with other herbs to treat snake bites and diabetes in Kenya. 

● Flowers are used to treat insomnia and asthma in traditional medicine. 

● In India daily dose of 150 ml leaf decoction with honey is taken 3 times a day for anemia and fever. 

● Leaves are used in the treatment of leucorrhoea.