Cassia fistula L.

 

 Family: Fabaceae

Synonym: Bactyrilobium fistula Willd., Cassia bonplandiana DC.

Vernacular name: Konna, Kanikonna     (Malayalam)

Habit: Tree

Habitat: Found growing wild on the hills to 1400 m in dry deciduous forests. Peninsular India.

Distribution: India, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Pakistan, Malay Islands, China

Flowering and fruiting: March to July

Key identification features: A medium-sized, deciduous tree with drooping branchlets. New leaflets copper brown in colour, drooping. Flowers fragrant, golden yellow, drooping in long clusters. Dark brown fruit long and cylindrical resembling drumstick.Flowers yellow. During leaf less period flower occur covering all branches

Uses: Wood used as fuel wood. The bark is made into a paste with turmeric powder and cumin and the juice is extracted and used to cure nausea and vomiting. The bark also yields an orange dye.