SENNA 35 



surface finely wrinkled ; veins not evident ; leaf equal at the base ; 

 hairs three-celled ; taste distinctly bitter ; formerly regularly mixed 

 with the senna but now of rare occurrence. 



Arabian, Mecca, or Bombay senna, obtained from wild plants of 

 C. angustifolia ; collected in Southern Arabia and sometimes shipped 

 via Bombay, or now more commonly by the Ked Sea route, to London ; 

 elongated lanceolate, often discoloured and mixed with stalks; 

 frequently mixed with Alexandrian senna, but may be distinguished 

 by the shape ; contain about 2*5 per cent, of total oxymethylanthra- 

 quinones. 



Leaves of the following plants have also been imported as senna, 

 or have occurred in commercial senna : 



Cassia holosericea, Fresenius ; smaller, more obtuse, hairy. 



Cassia montana, Heyne ; darker, rounded apex, dark network of veins. 



Tephrosia apollinea, de Can- 

 dolle ; obovate-oblong, pube- 

 scent, emarginate lateral veins 

 straight and parallel ; fruits 

 narrow - cylindrical ; recently 

 (1918) found in Alexandrian 

 senna. 



Colutea arborescens, Linne ; 

 green, very thin. 



Globularia Alypum, Linne ; 

 spathulate, rounded apex, mu- FlG , 23. Arabian Senna leaves, 



cronate. Natural size. 



Coriaria myrtifolia, Linne ; 



ovate-lanceolate, greyish-green, two prominent lateral veins, con- 

 spicuous midrib. 



INDIAN SENNA LEAVES 

 (Tinnevelly Senna, Senna Indica) 



Source, &C. Indian or Tinnevelly senna consists of the leaflets of 

 Cassia angustifolia, Vahl, which is indigenous to southern Arabia, 

 but is cultivated largely in southern India, especially in the district 

 of Tinnevelly, in the extreme south-east. Here the plant attains 

 an unusual luxuriance, and produces larger leaves than the Arabian 

 wild plant. They are carefully collected, dried, pressed into bales, 

 and exported from Tuticorin. 



Description. Tinnevelly senna is usually free from admixture 

 either of foreign leaves or even of stalks and fruits. The leaves 

 resemble Alexandrian senna rather closely, but are generally of a 

 yellowish green rather than greyish green colour, a difference more 

 noticeable in bulk than in single leaves. They attain a larger size 



