476 



INDIAN MEDICINAL PLANTS. 



without glands. Leaves distinctly petioJed, 2-3in. long ; leaflets 

 obovate-oblong, 8-12, opposite, membranous, very glaucous, 

 obtuse, with a minute mucro, £-IJin. Stipules lanceolate 

 persistent. Racemes distinctly, peduncled, equalling or exceed- 

 ing the leaves ; pedicels very short. Sepals glabrous, very 

 obtuse. Corolla middle-sized, pale yellow, stamens very un- 

 equal. Pod thin, flat, oblong, much recurved, with a crest, in 

 the middle of the valve opposite each seed, 1-1 \ by f-fin., 

 short-stalked, narrower suddenly at both ends, 6-12-seeded, 

 suture very thin. 



Use '• — Along with C. Lanceolata it is the principal source of 

 the medicinal senna leaves. 



423. C. alata, Linn h. f.b.l, il 264. 



Syn. : — Senna alata, Roxb. 354. 



Sans. : — Dadraghna. 



Vern. : — Dad mardan, dad-mari (B.) ; dad murdan, dat-ka 

 pat (Lt.) ; Dadamardana (Bom. and Mar.) ; Dat-ka-pata Vilayati- 

 agati (Duk.) ; Shimai-agati, vandukolli (Tarn.) ; Sima-avisl (Tel.); 

 Shima-akatti (Mai.) ; Shime-agase (Kan.). 



Habitat : —Met with in Lower Bengal and the Western 

 Peninsula. 



A large shrub, with very thick, finely downy branches. 

 Leaves sub-sessile, l-2ft. long. Leaflets 8-12 pair, oblong obtuse, 

 2-6in. long, minutely mucronate, rigidly sub-coriaceous, glabrous, 

 or obscurely downy beneath, broadly rounded, oblique at the base. 

 Racliis narrowly winged on each side of the face. Stipules del- 

 toid, rigid, persistent, articulate, ^in. long. Flowers in short 

 pedicels, in spiciform, pedunculate racemes; the buds in yellow 

 caduceous bracts. Sepals obtuse ; petals bright yellow, with 

 darker veins, broad-ovate, l^in. long. Stamens very unequal. 

 Perfeet stamens 7, the anthers subequal or those of 2-3 lowest 

 larger than the others. Three posterior filaments without an- 

 thers. Pod long, ligulate with a broad wing down the middle 

 of each valve, membranous. Dehiscent, straight and glabrous ; 

 4-8 by J-fin. Seeds 50 or more. 



Parts used : — The leaves. 



