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Cassia fistula L. in Pandanus database of Indian plant names
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  Cassia fistula L. details in Pandanus database of Indian plant names

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 Latin nameCassia fistula L.
 FamilyFabaceae, Subfamily: Caesalpinioideae
 Identified with (Lat)Cassia rhombifolia Roxb.
 Identified with (Skt)āragvadha, kṛtamāla
 Identified with (Hin)amaltās, girimālā
 Identified with (Ben)sonalu
 Identified with (Tam)itaḻi, konnai, carakkoṉṉai
 Identified with (Mal)konna, kaṇikkonna
 Identified with (Eng)Indian laburnum, Purging fistula, Pudding pipe tree, Golden shower tree
 Botanical infoA deciduous tree up to 15m high, bright yellow flowers in long racemes, grows all over India.
 Search occurrenceāragvadha, kṛtamāla, in the Pandanus database of Sanskrit e-texts
 See plant's imageCassia fistula L. in Google image search
 Encyclopedias &
 Dictionaries

Monier-Williams: A Sanskrit-English Dictionary (p. 149)
āragvadha, as, m. the tree Cathartocarpus (Cassia) Fistula, Bhpr.; Suśr.; (am) n. its fruit, Suśr.

Monier-Williams: A Sanskrit-English Dictionary (p. 302)
kṛtamāla, m. the spotted antelope Suśr.; the tree Cassia fistula Suśr.; (ā) f. N. of a river BhP. v, 19, 18; x, 79, 16.

Tamil Lexicon, University of Madras (p. 293)
itaḻi: Cassia fistula

Tamil Lexicon, University of Madras (p. 1169)
koṉṉai: 01 1. Stammering, imperfect articulation; 2. Babbling
02. Cup made of leaves

Dymock, Warden, Hooper: Pharmacographia Indica (vol. I, pp. 511-512)
Cassia Fistula, Leguminosae
Fig.- Purging cassia, Indian Laburnum (Eng.)
The Sanskrit names for the tree are Aragbadha, Suvarnaka (golden), Rajataru, or Nripadruma (royal tree), on account of the beauty of the long racemes of yellow flowers, which resemble those of the Laburnum, but are much larger. It is sacred to Ganeshwar, the St. Januarius of India; in Mysore stakes cut from the tree are fixed in the ground and worshipped. In Hindu medicine the pulp is used as a cathartic, and the root is also sometimes given as a laxative. A compound decoction (Aragbadhadi) is directed to be used by Chakradatta; it contains Cassia pulp, Picrorrhiza kurroa, Chebulic myrobalans, long pepper root and Cyperus rotundus. (Dutt's Hindu Mat Med., p. 155.) In Mahometan works the drug is called Khiyar-shambar, an Arabic corruption of the Persian Khiyar-chambar, and the pulp Asal-i-Khiyar-chambar (honey of Khiyar-chambar). Chambar means a necklace in Persian, and is probably an allusion to the structure of the pod. Persian dictionaries Katha-el-Hind (Indian cucumber) as the Arabic name. Through the Arabians the drug became known to the later Greek physicians. Nicolaus Myrepsicus calls it -*-. Joannes Actuarius, who practised at Constantinople towards the close of the 13th century describes it minutely. (Meth. Med. v, 2.) In the Makhzan-el-adwiya the pods are directed to be slightly warmed, and the pulp extracted and rubbed up with a little almond oil for use. It is described as lenitive, useful for relieving thoracic obstructions, and heat of blood, a safe aperient for children, and women even when pregnant, but slow in its action. With tamarinds it is said to be a good purge for adust bile; with turbith or polypodium for cold humours and melancholy; with linseed or almond oil and combined with other suitable remedies, such as Dulcamara, it is recommended for the removal of obstructions of the abdominal viscera. Externally it is said to be a good application in gout, rheumatism, &c. The flowers and leaves are said to have lenitive properties, and a conserve of the former is mentioned. From 5 to 7 of the powdered seeds are prescribed as an emetic, and the shell of the pod rubbed down with saffron, sugar, and rose water, in difficult parturition. Ainslie notices the use of the pulp and flowers by the natives of India. Dr. Irvine (Topogr. of Ajmeer) states that he found the root act as a strong purgative. It is also reported to be in use as a purgative in Guzerat. In the Concan the juice of the young leaves is used to cure ringworm, and to allay the irritation caused by the application of the marking-nut juice. Rumphius remarks that the Portuguese make a confection of the young pods and also of the flowers. A peculiar gum swelling up in water like tragacanth issues from the tree when bruised. C. brasiliana and C. moschata, the Canafistola de purgar of Panama, Petite Casse d'Amerique of the French (cf. Hanbury Science Papers, p. 138), have been introduced into India, and have properties similar to those of C. Fistula.


 
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