Cassia senna L.

  • Authority

    Isley, Duane. 1975. Leguminosae of the United States: II. Subfamily Caesalpinioideae. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 25 (2): 1-228.

  • Family

    Caesalpiniaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Cassia senna L.

  • Description

    Species Description - Finely strigose frutescent herb of glabrate aspect. Leafstalk 5-15 cm, eglandular; leaflets 4-7(-10) pairs, barely petioluled, lanceolate, 2-3.5(-5) cm long, 2-4.2 r, usually acute to rounded, mucronate or not. Stipules subulate, inconspicuous. Flowers in axillary racemes elongating in fruit to 2 dm. Pedicels 3-5 mm; sepals subequal, ca 6 mm; corolla yellow, 1.5-3 cm diam; functional stamens 7, 2 larger than others. Legume dehiscent, stipitate, asymmetrically elliptic-oblong, slightly falcate, flat, 3.5-5 cm long, 1.5-2.3 cm wide; valves papery-membranous, transversely septate within; stylar beak or scar ventrally displaced. Seeds few-many.

  • Discussion

    C. angustifolia Vahl (1790) Senna angustifolia (Vahl) Batka (1849) CN 2n = 28 (Milovidov and Storchova, 1958; as C. angustifolia), n = 14 (Baquar et al, 1966; as C. angustifolia). And others reporting 14 base, n — 13 (Mehra and Sobti, 1955; as C. angustifolia). Brenan (1958b, 1967) treats C. angustifolia Vahl and C. acutifolia Del. as synonyms of Cassia senna L. stating (1958a) “that there seems no reason for recognizing them even as varieties.” From material studied, I concur. This species furnishes the laxative senna of U.S. Pharmacopoeia, the commercial material being derived from both leaves and pods. It is a minor export crop of both India and northern Africa (Purseglove, 1968).

  • Distribution

    Se United States and California. Experimental novelty. N Africa to India, widely cult, in India, established in tropics of both hemispheres.

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