Common Name:

General Information

Senna petersiana is a sparingly to multi-branched shrub or small tree with a rounded crown; it can grow up to 12 metres tall[, ].
The tree is harvested from the wild for local use as a medicine, food and source of wood. It is sometimes grown as an ornamental[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

Africa - widespread from Cameroon to Ethiopia, south to S. Africa.

Habitat

Margins of rainforest, in riverine forest, deciduous woodland, coastal evergreen bushland and wooded grassland; at elevations up to 2,500 metres[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Tree
Height	8.00 m
Cultivation Status	Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

Although many species within the family Fabaceae have a symbiotic relationship with soil bacteria, this species is said to be devoid of such a relationship and therefore does not fix atmospheric nitrogen[].

Edible Uses

The sweet fruit pulp is eaten raw by children[].

The seedpods are soaked, boiled and eaten as a gruel[].

The seeds and fruits are made into an alcoholic drink[].

Medicinal

The plant is widely used as a purgative to treat constipation, stomach-ache and intestinal worms by drinking an infusion or decoction of the roots, or less often, by using fresh leaves[]. In southern Africa medicinal uses include the treatment of malaria, schistosomiasis, gonorrhoea and syphilis[].

The roots are used to treat malaria[].

The active constituents of leaves, bark, roots and pods are anthraquinone glycosides. These compounds are responsible for the purgative activity[].
The seeds contain the flavone luteolin. The ethanol extract of the seeds and luteolin were tested for antiviral activity and showed some activity at the highest non-toxic concentrations; luteolin also showed antibacterial activity[].
The methanol and water extract of the leaves showed some schistosomicidal activity in vitro[].
Both leaves and roots have shown antimalarial activity in vitro[].

Other Uses

The wood is light in weight. It is used to make tool handles[].
The wood used for fuel[].

Propagation

Seed - it has a hard seedcoat and may benefit from scarification before sowing in order to speed up and improve 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.

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