Senna hirsuta is very variable and 7 varieties have been distinguished for South America. In South-East Asia, 2 varieties occur: var. Hirsuta (widespread as a weed in South East Asia and the rest of the Old World tropics; fruit straight, 11-15 cm x 4-6.5 mm, bristly-hirsute) and var. Puberula Irwin & Barneby (widespread in South America, but in South-East Asia only present in the Philippines as a weed, fruit simply arched outward, 15-25 cm x 3-6 mm)[].

Common Name:

General Information

Cassia hirsuta is a fast-growing, erect or diffuse, simple or several-stemmed herb with a foetid aroma, growing up to 2.5 metres tall and becoming somewhat woody with age[].
The plant is gathered from the wild for local use as a food and medicine. It is also sometimes cultivated as a green manure crop.

Known Hazards

Roasting of the seed destroys the toxalbumin present in fresh seed[].

Botanical References

Range

S. America - Argentina, north to the Caribbean and through Central America to Mexico.

Habitat

Naturalized in SE Asia, on plains and hilly areas, growing spontaneously in waste locations, along roadsides, railway embankments, dry ditches and in secondary forest. It is found in gardens and fields as a weed[]

Properties

Weed Potential	Yes
Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Shrub
Height	2.00 m
Growth Rate	Fast
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Wild

Cultivation Details

Succeeds in subtropical to tropical regions at elevations up to about 700 metres[].
Prefers a sunny position[].
The plant has often escaped from cultivation and become a weed in SE Asia and the Pacific[, ].
In South-East Asia the plant flowers throughout the year[, ].
Plants respond well to coppicing[].
There are conflicting reports on whether or not this tree has a symbiotic relationship with certain soil bacteria, so it is unclear as to whether this tree fixes atmospheric nitrogen[].

Edible Uses

The leaves and young pods are eaten, usually steamed or cooked in vegetable dishes or in salads. The unpleasant smell can be reduced by relatively long cooking[].

The seeds are roasted and used as a substitute for coffee[, ].

Medicinal

The leaves are used medicinally for treating kidney disorders and herpes[, ]. An infusion is an effective remedy for renal calculi[].
An infusion of the leaves is applied externally to treat skin disorders and cracked nipples[, ].

The root is tonic[].
A tincture of the root is rubbed onto rheumatic areas[].

The leaf contains derived anthracenes[].
The seed contains a bi-anthraquinone and a tri-terpenoid, which may prove medicinally important[].

Agroforestry Uses:

Used as a shade plant in young coffee plantations[].
Green manure. A fast growing plant that is easy to cut, coppices well and can produce considerable amounts of foliage material in a growth cycle of 8 months[]. It is often used as a green manure crop in Asia[] Observations in Central Africa indicate that is competes poorly with weeds[].

Other Uses

The seed contains a water-soluble gum, though not in commercial quantities[].

Propagation

Seed - requires pre-treatment to soften the hard seedcoat and allow the ingress of water[]. This can be done by soaking the seed in a small amount of nearly boiling water (which cools down quickly and does not cook the seed) and then soaking the seed for 12 - 24 hours in warm water. Alternatively, a small area of the seed coat can be abraded, being careful not to damage the embryo[].

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