Common Name:

General Information

Cassia grandis is a semi-deciduous, medium-sized tree with a rounded or spreading crown[]. It usually grows up to 20 metres tall with occasional specimens to 30 metres[, ]. The straight, cylindrical bole can be up to 1 metre in diameter[, , ].
The plant is gathered from the wild, mainly for local medicinal use[]. When in flower, this is one of the most handsome trees of Central America, especially along the Pacific lowlands, reminding one of apple trees, by both the form of the tree and the colouring of the blossoms[]. It is often cultivated as an ornamental, being valued especially for its floral display[, ].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

,

Range

S. America - Brazil, Bolivia and Peru, north to the Caribbean and through Central America to Mexico.

Habitat

Open, brushy or forested hillsides or on thinly forested plains, often about dwellings or along roadsides and in pastures, at elevations below 900 metres[].

Properties

Weed Potential	Yes
Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Semi-deciduous Tree
Height	20.00 m
Pollinators	Insects
Cultivation Status	Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

A plant of the lowland moist tropics, found at elevations below 900 metres[, ]. It is found in areas where the mean annual rainfall is in the range 1,000 - 2,800 mm, and the mean annual temperature is 21 - 26°c with a mean maximum of 24 - 30°c and a mean minimum of 17 - 25°c[].
Prefers a sunny position[]. Succeeds in a wide range of soils[].
The plant is common as an ornamental and gsrden escape in Malaysia, Java and New Guinea[].
A fast-growing plant[].
The fruit takes 10 - 12 months to mature from flowering[].

Edible Uses

The pulp surrounding the seeds in the pods is edible. Sugary, but malodorous and has purgative properties if eaten in quantity[, ].

Medicinal

The bitter fruit pulp is used as a laxative and purgative similar to C. fistula and reported to be more powerful[, , ]. Drunk with milk, it is said to fight anaemia and add iron to the blood[].
The ripe pods and seeds are also used as a laxative[].

A decoction of the leaves is used as a laxative and in the treatment of lumbago[].
The fresh juice of the leaves is used externally in the treatment of ringworm[].
An ointment made from lard and the crushed leaves is employed commonly in treating cutaneous diseases, especially mange and other skin affections in dogs[].

Agroforestry Uses:

A fast-growing tree it can be used as a pioneer species when re-establishing woodland[].

Other Uses

The seeds are a potential commercial source of gums[]. Seed gum can be used as a binder for the pharmaceutical industry[].

The ashes of the wood are employed in soap-making[].

The wood is brownish yellow, rather hard and heavy, coarse-textured and not durable[]. A strong, multipurpose wood, it is used for building construction - mainly for internal finish, agricultural implements etc[, , , ]. It is also used for fence posts[].
The wood is used for fuel[, ].

Propagation

Seed - it has a hard seedcoat and may benefit from scarification before sowing to speed up germination. This can usually be done by pouring a small amount of nearly boiling water on the seeds (being careful not to cook them!) and then soaking them for 12 - 24 hours in warm water. By this time they should have imbibed moisture and swollen - if they have not, then carefully make a nick in the seedcoat (being careful not to damage the embryo) and soak for a further 12 hours before sowing. Sow the seed in a partially shaded position in a nursery seedbed. A germination rate in excess of 60% can be expected, with the seed sprouting within 8 - 12 days[]. When the seedlings are 4 - 6cm tall, pot them up into individual containers and they should be ready to plant out 5 - 6 months later[].
Seed can be stored for prolonged periods without loss of viability[].
Cuttings. In Costa Rica, the plant is propagated by means of large cuttings ('epicormic shoots'). Vertical shoots of 15 cm in diameter are cut and trimmed to a length of 2.5 metres. These are laid out in the shade for a week and then stacked vertically for three weeks. Then they are planted, with the lower ends buried 50 cm deep in the soil[].
Layering.

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Captcha: if i have 3 bananas, and i eat them all, how many bananas did i just eat?