Indian Senna Plant

Plant spread : Several species of Cassia contribute to the drug of commerce, and were comprised in a single species by Linnaeus under the name of Cassia Senna. Since his day, the subject has been more fully investigated, and it is known that several countries utilize the leaves of their own indigenous varieties in the same way. The two most widely exported and officially recognized are C. acutifolia and C. angustifolia.

Planting and care :

• Tirunelveli Senna is a shrubby plant that reaches 0.5-1 m, rarely 2 m in height with a branched, pale-green erect stem and long spreading branches bearing four or five pairs of leaves. These leaves form complex, feathery, mutual pairs. The leaflets vary from 4 to 6 pairs, entire, with a sharp tip.
• The midribs are equally divided at the base of the leaflets. The flowers are borne in a raceme, and are big in size, coloured yellow that tends to brown. Its pods are horned, broadly oblong, compressed and flat and contain about six seeds. When cultured, the plants are cut down semi-annually, dried in the sun, stripped and packed in palm-leaf bags.