Senna siamea

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Senna siamea
Kassod (Senna siamea) flowers W IMG 0540.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Fabales
Family: Fabaceae
Subfamily: Caesalpinioideae
Tribe: Cassieae
Genus: Senna
Species:
S. siamea
Binomial name
Senna siamea
(Lam.) Irwin et Barneby
Synonyms
  • Cassia arayatensisNaves
  • Cassia arboreaMacfad.
  • Cassia floridaVahl
  • Cassia giganteaDC.
  • Cassia siameaLam.
  • Cassia siamea var. puberulaKurz
  • Cassia sumatranaRoxb.
  • Cassia sumatranaDC.
  • Chamaefistula giganteaG.Don
  • Sciacassia siamea(Lam.) Britton & Rose S
  • Sciacassia siamea(Lam.) Britton
  • Senna sumatrana(DC.) Roxb.

Senna siamea, also known as Siamese cassia, [1] kassod tree, cassod tree and cassia tree, [2] [3] is a legume in the subfamily Caesalpinioideae. It is native to South and Southeast Asia, although its exact origin is unknown. [4]

Contents

Description

Leaves and flowers Senna siamea leaves and flowers 05.jpg
Leaves and flowers

It is a medium-size, evergreen tree growing up to 18 m (60 ft) with yellow flowers. Leaves are alternate, pinnately compound, with slender, green-reddish, tinged axis and 6 to 12 pairs of leaflets on short stalks, rounded at both ends.

It is often used as shade tree in cocoa, coffee and tea plantations. In Thailand it is the provincial tree of Chaiyaphum Province and some places in the country are named after it.

Uses

Kaeng khilek, a Thai curry made with kassod leaves and flower buds Kaeng khilek.jpg
Kaeng khilek, a Thai curry made with kassod leaves and flower buds
Wood from S. siamea (Tie Dao Mu ) is highly valued in Chinese furniture making. Senna siamea.jpg
Wood from S. siamea (鉄刀木) is highly valued in Chinese furniture making.

This plant has medicinal value and it contains a compound named barakol. The leaves, tender pods and seeds are edible, but they must be previously boiled and the water discarded. They are used in Burmese and also in Thai cuisine where one of the most well-known preparations is kaeng khilek (Thai : แกงขี้เหล็ก).

In Burmese tradition, during the full moon day of Tazaungmon, Burmese families pick Siamese cassia buds and prepare it in a salad called mezali phu thoke (မယ်ဇလီဖူးသုပ်) or in a soup. [5]

Other uses include as fodder plant, in intercropping systems, windbreaks, and shelter belts. [6] As a hardwood, it is used for ornamentation on instruments (ukuleles and guitars) and decorative products. In this capacity it is known as pheasantwood or polohala, named for the similarity of the grain to pheasant feathers. [7] It is sometimes used in Chinese furniture (known as jichimu) interchangeably with wood from the Ormosia species. [8]

Senna siamea tablets found in Bangkok Sennna siamea tablets for insomnia.webp
Senna siamea tablets found in Bangkok

Scientific studies have established its medicinal potential, mainly on account of the anxyolitic properties of its main active chemical: barakol. [9] It is sold in Asian pharmacies, mostly as a sleep aid, but also to treat constipation and as a hair balm.

Vernacular names

See also

Related Research Articles

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References

  1. NRCS. "Senna siamea". PLANTS Database. United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Retrieved 10 November 2015.
  2. "Nana Garden". Archived from the original on 2014-07-10. Retrieved 2011-08-31.
  3. "Gaeng Ki Lek: On the Trail of a Curry from Northern Thailand to Suburban KL (Part 2 of 2)".
  4. "AgroForestryTree Database". Archived from the original on 2012-01-17. Retrieved 2011-08-31.
  5. "The merry, marry months start in Myanmar". The Myanmar Times. Archived from the original on 2020-11-12. Retrieved 2018-11-02.
  6. "Senna siamea". Winrock International. Archived from the original on 2011-09-26.
  7. "Pheasantwood | the Wood Database - Lumber Identification (Hardwood)".
  8. Curtis Evarts. "Chinese Furniture Materials: | Jichimu (Chicken-wing wood) 鸡翅木". chinese-furniture.com.
  9. Thongsaard, W.; Deachapunya, C.; Pongsakorn, S.; Boyd, E. A.; Bennett, G. W.; Marsden, C. A. (1996). "Barakol: A potential anxiolytic extracted from Cassia siamea". Pharmacology, Biochemistry, and Behavior. 53 (3): 753–758. doi:10.1016/0091-3057(95)02088-8. PMID   8866982.
  10. "ຕົ້ນຂີ້ເຫຼັກ / Siamese cassia". phakhaolao.la.