English : True Alexandrian Senna/Indian or Tinnevelly Senna

Urdu : Sana

Telugu : Suna-mukhi/ Naelaponna

Description :

Cassia acutifolia which is known as True or Alexadrian senna, is a bushy herbaceous plant with leaves having 5-8 pairs of leaflets and awl-shapped basal appendages, many flowers and broadly oblong, slightly curved pods. The leaflets are lanceolate to ovate lancelate about 2.5 cm long and 0.5-1.6 cm wide, pale greyish-green or yellowish-green and brittle in texture. The margin is entire , the apex acute and the base asymetric. Both surfaces are pubescent. The odour is slight and taste mucilaginous and unpleasant.

Casia angustifolia which is known as indian or Tinnevelly senna, resembles  true senna with small differences of leaves in size.

Action and Uses:

Senna leaves are lexatvie in small doses i.e 1.5-3 gm and purgative in large doses i.e 3-6 gm,deobstruent and anthelmintic. The leaves cause gripping and vomiting but free from astrigency and do not induce after constipation. They are also used as a hair-dye in combination with henna leaves. They are effective in rheumatism, gout , sciatica, lumbago and asthma, in intestinal worms and in  fevers.

Senna leaves are used in the form of infusion , decoction , powder and confection. To avoid its side-effects i.e gripping and vomiting, these leaves are always used with rose flowers or aniseeds or if used in powder form, it can be lubricated with almond oil.