Cassia Fistula Seeds

Cassia fistula is a moderate-sized deciduous tree with a bole 40feet high and 3 - 4 ft in girth, indigenous to India, and naturalised in tropical Africa, South America and West Indies.  It is sometimes cultivated for its beautiful yellow flowers which appear during April - June.  The fruits are pendulous, cylindrical, 25 - 50cm, long and 1.5 - 3 cm in diam. And contain 25 - 100 seeds.  Although one-celled in the beginning, the fruit latter develops numerous transverse septa between the seeds.  In fresh pods, the seeds are completely surrounded by a black pulp, which, on drying adheres to the septa. The bark of Cassia fistula known as Sumari is sued in admixture with avaram bark in the tanning of East India Kips. It is mainly used as ornamental trees, but also used as firewood inMexico. Wood is also used to make farm implements. It is reported to be astringent, purgative, vermifuge. The fruit is used as an anti-inflamatory, antipyretic, refrigerent, good for eye ailments, flu, heart and liver ailments.Leaf poultices are used in facial massage for brain afflictions. This plant is alos used in epilepsy, diarrhea, cancer, constipation, pimples, glandular tumours, paralysis, rheumatism, kidney stones etc.