General Information

  • Category- Herb, drug
  • Binomial Name- Cassia angustifolia
  • Common Names- Alexandrian senna, Tinnevelly senna
  • Spread- 15-24 inches
  • Height- 40-60 inches
  • Average Production- 5-10 leaflet pairs per plant
  • Days to Maturity- 80-90 days

Environmental Requirements:

  • Soil- Sandy loam, red loam, alluvial loam
  • Soil Moisture- 20%
  • Soil pH- 7.0-8.5
  • Sun Requirements- Full sun
  • Best Time to Plant- Early Summer (February – March) or Winter (October – November)

Tips to Grow Senna:

  1. Arrange good quality of senna seeds. Soak the seeds in boiling water for 1-2 hour before planting.
  2. Soil should be fertile and well draining. It should be dry. Add some manure in the soil prior planting.
  3. Sow the seeds 1\8 inches deep in the soil. The plant will spread by underground rhizomes, so keep an eye on it to ensure it doesn’t get out of control.
  4. Senna is drought-tolerant and does not do well with excessive watering. For best growth results, water deeply but lightly five to eight times over the growing season.
  5. The first flowers can be seen after 2-3 weeks after planting. Pruning the first flowers encourages growth for a better crop of flowers, pods and leaves.
  6. The first harvest of leaves and pods are done at 2 months after sowing and subsequent harvests at 30 days interval.
  7. Leaves and pods are cut and dried. They are then sieved to separate stems and pods from the leaves. The leaves are then graded and use for medicinal purposes.

Chemical Constituents of Senna:

The constituents of senna leaves and pods are similar, they contain anthraquinone glcocides which are:

  • Sennoside A, B, C and D.
  • Aloe emodin and rhein.
  • Kempferol and myricyl alcohol.

Senna leaves contain mucilage but senna pods do not.

Uses:

Both senna leaves and pods are used as purgative and laxative.

Vegetables