www.malaysianherbals.com - Senna spectabilis -(78) (Spectacular Cassia) ஆவாரை இனம்

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Senna spectabilis (Spectacular Cassia)
Senna spectabilis has been introduced to Africa as an ornamental and a boundary marker. It timber is not highly valued but it produces good quality firewood.

Senna (from Arabic sanā), the sennas, is a large genus of flowering plants in the legume family Fabaceae, and the subfamily Caesalpinioideae. This diverse genus is native throughout the tropics, with a small number of species intemperate regions. The number of species is estimated to be from about 260 to 350.The type species for the genus is Senna alexandrina. About 50 species of Senna are known in cultivation.

Senna includes herbs, shrubs, and trees.

The leaves are pinnate with opposite paired leaflets. The inflorescences areracemes at the ends of branches or emerging from the leaf axils. The flower has five sepals and five usually yellow petals. There are ten straight stamens. The stamens may be different sizes, and some are staminodes. The fruit is a legume pod containing several seeds.

According to Epilepsy Foundation, Epilepsy or seizure affects nearly 3 million Americans. This illness has an assessed annual cost of $17.6 billion, direct and indirect costs. Roughly, 200,000 new cases of seizures and epilepsy are recorded each year. 

There are treatments available nowadays. These medications help many people who live with epilepsy. But there are more than a million people who continue to have episodes of seizures that can rigorously limit their school accomplishments, occupation prospects and contribution in life's experiences.

According to National Sleep Institute,

“Insomnia, which is Latin for "no sleep," is the inability to fall asleep or stay asleep. Insomnia is also used to describe the condition of waking up not feeling restored or refreshed.” 

According to the National Center for Sleep Disorders Research at the National Institutes of Health, about 30-40 percent of grown persons claim that they experience symptoms of insomnia within a given year, and about 10-15 percent of adults claim that they have chronic insomnia. There are also treatments available in the market. Sleeping pills are one of the common medical treatments for insomnia.

In 2010, a research was conducted about the anticonvulsant and sedative activity of leaves of Sennaspectabilis. In its abstract, the authors stated:

“Senna spectabilis DC. is a small tree, 3 to 5 m, found in tropical areas in Africa, Asia, Australia, Latino and South America. It is used in traditional medicine in Cameroon to treat many diseases (constipation, insomnia, epilepsy, anxiety, etc.). Therefore, the aim of this study was to look scientifically for the anticonvulsant and sedative properties of S. spectabilis… The results lead to the conclusion that the extract of Senna spectabilis possesses anticonvulsant and sedative properties in mice. It also explains the use of Senna spectabilis in traditional medicine in Africa, for the treatment of insomnia and epilepsy.”

Another study also suggests that Senna spectabilis has anticonvulsant effect on animals. According to the study entitled “Central Nervous System Effects of Iso-6-spectaline Isolated from SennaSpectabilis var. Excelsa (Schrad) in Mice”

“The central nervous system (CNS) depressant and anticonvulsant activities of iso-6-spectaline(SPEC) were investigated in animal models… This SPEC was also capable of promoting an increase of latency for development of convulsions induced by picrotoxin at highest dose. In the same way, the anticonvulsant effect of SPEC was affected by pretreatment with flumazenil, a selective antagonist of the benzodiazepine site of the GABAA receptor. These results suggest possible CNS depressant and anticonvulsant activities in mice that need further investigation.”

These researches have shown that Senna spectabilis is effective in animals as anti-convulsant and CNS depressant. However, it is only effective with addition to the medicines. Additionally, these researches recommend further investigation of the effects of this herbal medicine to people, since it was studied on animals.

Synonyms

Cassia corymbosa Lam. (misapplied)
Cassia floribunda Cav. (misapplied)
Cassia laevigata Willd.
Cassia septemtrionalis Viv.
Senna x floribunda (Cav.) H.S. Irwin & Barneby (misapplied)

Common Names

arsenic bush, Brazilian buttercup, buttercup bush, Dooleyweed, laburnum, senna, smooth leaved senna, smooth senna, yellow shower

Description

Senna spectabilis is a small, rounded deciduous tree, 7-10 m (max. 15) tall, and 30 cm in trunk diameter, with a spreadingcrown. Bole is short, tends to fork near the ground and is wide spreading with drooping, leafy branches. Bark smooth, grey with horizontal markings, many warts and short fissures, rougher with age with broad vertical bands of large lenticels (corkypores). Twigs stout, brown with light dots (lenticels), finely hairy; young parts softly pubescent. Leaves alternate, up to 40 cm, once-compound (pinnate) with 4-15 (max. 19) pairs of leaflets, each up to 7.5 cm; petiole 3-4 cm; rachis 10-20 cm (max. 35); stipules paired, threadlike, linear falcate, early caducous, about 1 cm long, without glands; leaflets narrowlyelliptic, 3-7 x 1-2 cm (the lowermost petal usually much smaller and early caducous); base rounded, apex acute,mucronate; margin entire, upper surface glabrous, dull green and almost hairless, with many slightly sunken side veins; lower surface dull light green and soft hairy, sometimes hairless; petiolule short, about 3 mm long (Katende et al. 1995).

Inflorescence large, terminal, lateral, leafy panicles, 15-30 cm (max. 90) long, which are branched and very large. Flowers many, fragrant, composed of 5 rounded hairy bracts, which are ovate, 4-5 mm long, caducous; pedicles 2-3 mm,velutinous. Sepals orange-yellow, unequal, ovate to suborbicular; 2 outer pubescent, 3 inner glabrous, larger, 5-7 mm long. Petals yellow, spathulate, unequal, broadly to narrowly obovate (egg-shaped in outline but with the narrower end at the base), 2-3.5 cm long, anthers opening by apical pores and a slit; stamens 7 large and 3 small sterile (staminodes).Pistil slender, curved, hairless; ovary glabrous, recurved; style and stigma inconspicuous. Fruit cylindrical or flattenedpods ending in a short, narrow point, hard, not splitting open or slightly on 1 side; pendulous, more or less terete or slightlycompressed, glabrous, glossy, annulate-septate, 18-25 (max. 30) x 1 cm, turning from green to black; with many cross walls about 3 mm or less apart, the seeds in separate compartments. Seeds 2.5 cm each division, 50-70, suborbicular, flattened, brown, about 5 mm in diameter; septae papery.

Economic and other uses

Family

Caesalpiniaceae (Queensland, the ACT, Victoria, Tasmania, Western Australia and the Northern Territory)
Fabaceae: sub-family  Caesalpinioideae (New South Wales)
Leguminosae (South Australia)

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www.malaysianherbals.com Senna Tora-Java Bean (77)ஆவாரையில் ஓரினம்

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Java bean 

This page is about the Cassia tora described by Linnaeus. Later authors usually applied the taxon to Senna obtusifolia.

Common Name: Sicklepod, Chinese senna, Coffeeweed, Java-bean. Scientifci Name: Senna obtusifolia. Synonym: Cassia tora, Cassia obtusifolia, Cassia humilis. Family: Fabaceae. Plant type: Annual or perennial herb. Height: 12-24 in. (30-60 cm). Flower color: Bright Yellow.

Description: The stems are light green, Branched. Leaves alternate, Pinnate leaf, Obovate (3-5 cm long, 2-4 cm wide,), Bracts ovate or lanceolate, 2-5 mm long. Its leaves, seeds, and root are used in folk medicine, primarily in Asia.

Origin

The exact native range of this species is obscure, but it is thought to be native to the Indian sub-continent (i.e. India, Bhutan, Nepal, eastern Pakistan, Sri Lanka), southern China, south-eastern Asia (i.e. Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Papua New Guinea) and parts of western Polynesia (i.e. the Solomon Islands).

Senna tora
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Eudicots
(unranked):	Rosids
Order:	Fabales
Family:	Fabaceae
Subfamily:	Caesalpinioideae
Tribe:	Cassieae
Subtribe:	Cassiinae
Genus:	Senna
Species:	S. tora
Binomial name
Senna tora (L.) Roxb.
Synonyms
Numerous, see text

Senna tora (originally described by Linné as Cassia tora) is a legume in the subfamily Caesalpinioideae. Its name has been derived fromSinhala language, in which it is called Tora (තෝර). In Sri Lanka it is easily found in many places. It grows wild in most of the tropics and is considered a weed in many places; its native range is not well known but probably South Asia. It is often confused with Chinese Senna or Sicklepod, S. obtusifolia. If it is given a distinct common name at all, it is called Sickle Wild Sensitive-plant.

Contents   [hide]  1 Use 2 Synonyms 3 Footnotes 4 References

Use

This herb is used in Ayurveda medicine for treatment of swellings etc. In some parts of Sri Lanka, people add its flowers in cooking which makes delicious food. This flowers can be used to drink as tea.

Synonyms

The taxonomic history of this plant is extremely confused, even by the standards of Senna and Cassia. S. tora and S. obtusifolia were for long and are often still held to be - and may eventually be verified as - a single species. Hence, taxa referring to either species were indiscriminately applied to both.

• Cassia boreensis Miq.
• Cassia borneensis Miq.
• Cassia gallinaria Collad.
• Cassia numilis Collad.

Apparently a misprint for Cassia humilis, which would have been applied to this species in error as it is properly a synonym of Senna obtusifolia and Chamaecrista kunthiana, depending on the author.

• 
  

Stems and Leaves

The branched, sprawling, stems are usually hairless (i.e. glabrous) or sparsely hairy (i.e. puberulent).

The compound (i.e. pinnate) leaves are alternately arranged along the stems and are borne on relatively long stalks (i.e.petioles) 20-45 mm long. These leaves (50-75 mm long) have two to four pairs of leaflets that are egg-shaped in outline with the narrower end attached to the stalk (i.e. obovate). The leaflets (10-55 mm long and 10-35 mm wide) have rounded tips (i.e. obtuse apices) and their margins are lined with tiny hairs (i.e. cilia). There is a small elongated structure (i.e. gland) usually located between each of the lowest two pairs of leaflets (sometimes these glands are only present between the lowest pair of leaflets). The leaves of this species give off a strong unpleasant odour, particularly when damaged or brushed against.

Flowers and Fruit

The yellow flowers are borne on short stalks (i.e. pedicels) 6-10 mm long. These flowers are arranged in pairs in the leaf forks (i.e. axils) and are mostly found near the tips of the branches. Each flower has five sepals, five yellow petals (8-10 mm long) and seven fertile stamens with small anthers (1.5-2.5 mm long). Flowering occurs mostly from late summer through to early winter.

The fruit is a very slender, sickle-shaped (i.e. falcate), pod (12-25 cm long and 2-6 mm wide) that is almost round in cross-section (i.e. cylindrical) and curved downwards. These pods turn brownish-green as they mature and are slightly indented between each of the numerous (20-30) seeds (i.e. the pods are faintly septate). The seeds are striped olive and brown (about 3 mm long), shiny in appearance, and flattened (i.e. compressed) or irregularly shaped (i.e. rhombic -rounded).

Reproduction and Dispersal

This plant reproduces by seed.

These seeds are dispersed by water and animals that eat the fruit (e.g. cattle). They may also be spread as a contaminant of agricultural produce (i.e. fodder and pasture seeds) or in mud sticking to animals, footwear, machinery and vehicles.

Impacts

Java bean (Senna tora) is regarded as an environmental weed in northern Queensland and the Northern Territory.

Similar Species

Java bean (Senna tora) is very similar to sicklepod (Senna obtusifolia ), hairy senna (Senna hirsuta ), coffee senna (Senna occidentalis ), smooth senna (Senna septemtrionalis ) and the native arsenic bush (Senna planitiicola). It is also relatively similar to Easter cassia ( Senna pendula var. glabrata) and pepper-leaved senna (Senna barclayana). These species can be distinguished by the following differences:

• Java bean (Senna tora) is a relatively small slender shrub (usually 0.5-2 m tall) that has leaves with a few (2-4) pairs ofleaflets. The moderately-sized leaflets (10-40 mm long) are relatively broad (10-35 mm wide) and have rounded tips (i.e.obtuse apices). Its flowers are borne in pairs in the leaf forks and its very elongated (12-25 cm long) pods are almost rounded in cross-section (i.e. cylindrical) and very narrow (2-6 mm wide). These pods are strongly curved downwards (i.e. sickle-shaped) and are mostly hairless (i.e. glabrous). This species also gives off a strong unpleasant smell.
• sicklepod (Senna obtusifolia ) is a relatively small slender shrub (usually 0.5-2 m tall) that has leaves with a few (2-3) pairs of leaflets. The relatively large leaflets (17-65 mm long) are relatively broad (15-40 mm wide) and have rounded tips (i.e. obtuse apices). Its flowers are borne in pairs in the leaf forks and the very elongated (6-18 cm long) pods are almost rounded in cross-section (i.e. cylindrical) and very narrow (2-6 mm wide). These pods are strongly curved downwards (i.e. sickle-shaped) and are mostly hairless (i.e. glabrous).
• hairy senna (Senna hirsuta ) is a relatively small slender shrub (usually 0.5-2 m tall) that has leaves with several (2-6) pairs of leaflets. These relatively large leaflets (40-105 mm long) are relatively broad (20-40 mm wide) and have pointed tips (i.e. acute apices). Its flowers are borne in small clusters in the leaf forks and its very elongated (10-18 cm long)pods are usually somewhat flattened and very narrow (4-6 mm wide). These pods are slightly-curved downwards and are densely covered in long white hairs (i.e.pubescent).
• coffee senna (Senna occidentalis ) is a relatively small slender shrub (usually 0.5-2 m tall) that has leaves with several (3-7) pairs of leaflets. The relatively large leaflets (30-100 mm long) are relatively broad (20-40 mm wide) and have pointed tips (i.e. acute apices). Its flowers are borne in small clusters in the leaf forks and its very elongated(7.5-13 cm long) pods are rounded (i.e. cylindrical) or slightly flattened and relatively thick (6-11 mm wide). These pods are straight or slightly-curved upwards and are mostly hairless (i.e. glabrous).
• smooth senna (Senna septemtrionalis ) is a moderately-sized shrub (1-3 m tall) that has leaves with several (3-5) pairs of leaflets. The relatively large leaflets (45-70 mm long) are relatively broad (15-35 mm wide) and have pointed tips (i.e. acute apices). Its flowers are borne in relatively loose somewhat elongated many-flowered clusters (i.e. racemes) and its elongated (6-10.5 cm long) pods are almost rounded in cross-section (i.e. cylindrical) and relatively thick (10-15 mm wide). These pods are straight and mostly hairless (i.e. glabrous).
• arsenic bush (Senna planitiicola) is a relatively small slender shrub (usually 0.5-2 m tall) that has leaves with several (5-7) pairs of leaflets. The moderately-sized leaflets (25-50 mm long) are relatively broad (15-25 mm across) and have somewhat pointed tips (i.e. acute apices). Its flowers are borne in small clusters in the leaf forks and its relatively short (less than 8.5 cm long) pods are almost rounded in cross-section (i.e. cylindrical) and relatively thick (8-11 mm wide). These pods are straight and mostly hairless (i.e. glabrous).
• Easter cassia ( Senna pendula var. glabrata) is a moderately-sized shrub (2-4 m tall) that has leaves with several (3-6) pairs of leaflets. The moderately-sized leaflets (20-50 mm long) are relatively broad (10-20 mm wide) with rounded tips (i.e. obtuse apices) and prominent yellowish coloured margins. Its flowers are borne in relatively loose leafy clusters and its elongated (10-20 cm long) pods are almost rounded in cross-section (i.e. cylindrical) and relatively thick (8-12 mm wide). These pods are relatively straight, sometimes have one or more constrictions, and are hairless (i.e. glabrous).
• pepper-leaved senna (Senna barclayana) is a low-growing shrub (usually less than 1 m tall) that has leaves with several (4-10) pairs of leaflets. The moderately-sized leaflets(20-50 mm long) are relatively narrow (4-15 mm wide) and have pointed tips (i.e. acute apices). Its flowers are borne in small clusters in the leaf forks and its relatively short (3-7 cm long) pods are almost rounded in cross-section (i.e. cylindrical) and relatively thick (6-9 mm wide). These pods are straight and hairless (i.e. glabrous).

There are many other native sennas (Senna spp.) that are also relatively similar to Java bean (Senna tora). However, these species generally have thicker pods and ten fertilestamens  in each flower.

Thanks Keyserver lucidcentral.org

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