Chinese Senna Cassia tora
LATIN NAME: CASSIA TORA
COMMON NAME: Chinese Senna, Sickle Senna, Jue Ming Zi
The Chinese senna is a vigorous and useful herb of the warm fields, and its hard, glossy seeds have a long history in the traditional ways of the East. It grows as an upright, herbaceous annual of the pea family, reaching up to a metre or more, with upright, branching stems bearing alternate, pinnate leaves of many small, oval leaflets and, in the summer, clusters of the small, yellow, pea-like flowers, followed by the long, slender, slightly curved, brown pods of the many hard, glossy, brown seeds. It is a species of the flowering herb, native to the warm regions of Asia, while it is grown for its seeds and its value in the traditional ways of the region, and it is known as the Chinese senna.
Scientific Research & Plant Biotechnology
The Chinese senna has a real and distinguished place in research. It has been studied in the chemistry of natural products and the traditional use, since the hard, glossy seeds of the Chinese senna have a very long history of use in the traditional medicine of the East, and the researchers have examined the seeds and their constituents, while the traditional uses of the plant have drawn attention in the international pharmaceutical and botanical press, and the study of the Chinese senna and its chemistry has been of continuing interest across the world, and the plant is best appreciated as a subject of study and of the tradition rather than a casual remedy. The plant has also been studied in botany and ecology, since it is a native of the warm regions of Asia, and its relationships, its distribution and its role in the wild have been examined, while the ecology of the warm-field herbs has been of continuing interest, and the long, slender, curved pods of the Chinese senna have been of interest to the botanists. The species has also been studied in the agriculture and the soil science, since the Chinese senna is a nitrogen-fixing legume, and the researchers have examined its value in the soil, while the study of the nitrogen-fixing plants of the warm regions has been of continuing interest, and the value of the Chinese senna in the improvement of the poor soils has been of the greatest interest. For a plant of such useful value, the Chinese senna has a rich and distinguished record of research.
Ecological & Economic Value & Wide Applications
To grow the Chinese Senna from seed, ecologically, the Chinese senna is a generous plant of the field and the garden. Its clusters of the small, yellow, pea-like flowers feed the bees and the insects of the summer, and its long, slender pods and their hard seeds feed the birds, while its nitrogen-fixing roots enrich the soil where it grows, and its leafy growth gives a fine cover to the small creatures. Its economic value is real: the Chinese senna is prized for its hard, glossy seeds and their very long history of use in the traditional medicine of the East, and its value has drawn attention in the international pharmaceutical and botanical press, while its nitrogen-fixing roots have made it a useful plant of the field and the poor ground. To raise the Chinese senna, pour warm water over the hard seeds and let them stand overnight, then sow them in pots of free-draining compost, keep them lightly watered, and grow the little herbs on in the sun.
pour warm water over the hard seeds and let them stand overnight, then sow the young sennas in pots of free-draining compost, keep them lightly watered, and grow the little herbs on in the sun.
LATIN NAME: Senna tora
COMMON NAME: Sickle Senna, Foetid Cassia, Tora, Chinese Senna
The sickle senna is a tough and widespread plant of the warm regions, and its little yellow flowers and curved pods are a common sight of the wayside. It grows as an erect, annual or short-lived perennial herb or small shrub, reaching up to a metre and a half, with pinnate leaves of several pairs of leaflets and, through the warm season, small, bright yellow flowers, followed by the slender, curved pods that give the plant its name. It grows wild in most of the tropics, and it is considered a weed in many places, while its seeds, known in traditional use, have a long history as a herb, used in tea and in traditional medicine.
The sickle senna belongs to the pea family, Fabaceae, in the subfamily Caesalpinioideae, and its name is derived from its Sinhala name tora. It grows wild in most of the tropics and is considered a weed in many places, while its native range is in Central America.
Scientific Research & Plant Biotechnology
The sickle senna has a genuine and growing place in both traditional and scientific research. It has been studied in chemistry and pharmacology, since its seeds have a long history as a herb, and researchers have examined the compounds of the plant, including the anthraquinones and the other substances that give the senna its character and its traditional uses, and their potential biological activity, which has made it a subject of interest in natural product research, while the anthraquinone compounds mean that the seeds must be used with care and in moderation. The plant has also been studied in agriculture and in the research on weeds, since it grows wild in most of the tropics and is considered a weed in many places, and researchers have examined its spread, its biology and its management. The species has also been studied in botany, since it is a member of the pea family. For a plant of such wide presence and such chemistry, the sickle senna has a steady and growing record of research.
Ecological & Economic Value & Wide Applications
Ecologically, the sickle senna is a tough plant of the warm wayside. Its yellow flowers feed bees and other insects, its leaves and pods feed grazing animals, and its roots hold the soil, while it is a common and vigorous member of the tropical landscape.
Its economic value is mixed. Its seeds have a long history as a herb, used in tea and in traditional medicine, though the anthraquinone compounds mean they should be used with care and in moderation, and it is also used as a green manure and for the improvement of the soil, while in many places it is a weed that must be managed. For a grower, the sickle senna is a tough and easy plant, and for a gardener it brings small yellow flowers and a plant of the warm wayside. The seeds are easy — soak them in warm water, then sow them in a pot of warm, free-draining compost, keep them in a warm, sunny spot, and theyll sprout within a couple of weeks, growing on into a tough, yellow-flowered plant.
Uses: Culinary/Medicinal (Jue-ming-zi) Excellent laxative: safe and effective for chronic constipation. Promotes clear vision, and relieves swelling, soreness and redness of the eyes caused by liver inflammation. Also used for high blood pressure, headaches, and dizziness. Ht. 30-90 cm/1-3 ft.X5385