Foetid cassia
StarSenna tora
Synonyms: Cassia obtusifolia var. humilis, Cassia borneensis, Cassia tora f. hirsuta, Cassia contorta, Glycyrrhiza kansoo, Chamaecrista tagera, Cassia sunsub, Tagera filiformis, Chamaefistula contorta, Emelista tora, Cassia gallinaria, Cassia tora, Diallobus tora, Cassia tula, Cassia tala, Cassia sagera, Cassia tagera
Western Herbalism Properties
Traditional Uses
Senna tora is a major medicinal plant across several traditions. In Ayurveda the seed ("Chakramarda," "Edagaja") and leaves are used for skin diseases, ringworm and other fungal infections, applied as a paste, and the plant is used for constipation and as a mild purgative. In Traditional Chinese Medicine the dried seed is the drug "Jue Ming Zi" (cassia seed), used to clear the liver, brighten the eyes and relieve constipation. Among the Houma of Louisiana, a compound decoction of the root was taken for typhoid (Speck, 1941; NAEB). The young leaves and shoots are also eaten as a potherb and the roasted seeds used as a coffee substitute in parts of Asia (Ayurvedic and TCM materia medica; NAEB).
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Botanical Description
Senna tora, the foetid or sickle senna (formerly Cassia tora), is an annual herb or subshrub of the Fabaceae growing 0.3-1.5 m tall, with an unpleasant smell when bruised. The pinnately compound leaves bear three pairs of obovate leaflets and a small gland between the lowest pair of leaflets. The yellow flowers, with five petals, are borne singly or in pairs in the leaf axils. The characteristic fruit is a slender, curved (sickle-shaped) cylindrical pod 10-20 cm long containing many rhombohedral seeds arranged in one row. Native to tropical Asia and now a pantropical weed of waste ground, roadsides and cultivated land, it flowers and fruits through the wet season. The shining brown seeds are the source of the East Asian drug cassia seed.
This information is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace professional medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before using any herbal remedy, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, or taking medications.
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