Senna (genus)

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Senna
Winged Senna (Senna didymobotrya)

Winged Senna ( Senna didymobotrya )

Systematics
Eurosiden I
Order : Fabales (Fabales)
Family : Legumes (Fabaceae)
Subfamily : Carob family (Caesalpinioideae)
Tribe : Cassieae
Genre : Senna
Scientific name
Senna
Mill.

Senna is a genus of plants that belongs to the subfamily of the carob family (Caesalpinioideae) within the legume family (Fabaceae). The plant species commonly known as "Senna", which provides the pharmaceutically used senna leaves, has the botanical name Senna alexandrina .

Flower of Senna occidentalis
Blooms of Senna pendula var. Glabrata

distribution

Senna species are found predominantly in the tropics worldwide; however, some species also occur in temperate zones . The greatest biodiversity of the genus is found in America .

description

Herbaceous plants , shrubs and trees are represented among the senna species . The leaves are pinnate in pairs . There are stipules present.

The flowers are in racemose or panicle inflorescences together with mostly early falling bracts . The hermaphrodite, five-fold flowers are more or less zygomorphic . The five sepals are fused with more or less the same calyx teeth. The five petals are yellow in most species. There are usually ten stamens . The largely upright stamens are no more than twice as long as the anthers . The curved ovary contains many ovules .

The cylindrical to winged legumes ("pods") are shorter than 30 cm and contain many seeds.

use

In parts of Southeast Asia , leaves and flowers of the species Senna siamea are used in the kitchen. The anthraquinone content means that senna plants can be used to produce laxatives ; other indications are also known in herbal medicine. Senna italica ( Syn . : Cassia obovata ) is a tried and tested hair dye for blonde hair and a natural hair care product for increasing the volume, which is also known as henna- neutral. Cassia auriculata was used as a tanning agent and for the manufacture of Damascus steel .

Systematics

The genus includes a large portion of the previously Kassien ( Cassia calculated) types . With around 250 species, it is a very diverse genus. Here is an (incomplete) list of species for the genus Senna :

Former species of the genus Senna , which are currently assigned to other genera:

swell

  • RK Brummitt, AC Chikuni, JM Lock & RM Polhill: Leguminosae in the Flora Zambesiaca , Volume 3, 2007: Senna - Online.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Hamid A. Dirar: Kawal, meat substitute from fermented Cassia obtusifolia leaves . In: Economic Botany . tape 38 , no. 3 , July 1984, p. 342-349 , doi : 10.1007 / BF02859013 .

Web links

Commons : Category: Senna  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files