Senna alexandrina

__NOTOC__:"Cassia lanceolata" redirects here. This taxon may also refer to other plants; see below."Taxobox
name = Alexandrian Senna


status = NE
status_system = iucn3.1
regnum = Plantae
divisio = Magnoliophyta
classis = Magnoliopsida
subclassis = Rosidae
unranked_ordo = Eurosids I
ordo = Fabales
familia = Fabaceae
subfamilia = Caesalpinioideae
tribus = Cassieae
subtribus = Cassiinae
genus = "Senna"
species = "S. alexandrina"
binomial = "Senna alexandrina"
binomial_authority = Mill.
synonyms =Many, see text

"Senna alexandrina" (Alexandrian Senna, and see below) is an ornamental plant in the genus "Senna". It is also used in herbalism. It grows natively in upper Egypt, especially in the Nubian region, and near Khartoum (Sudan), where it is cultivated commercially. It is also grown elsewhere, notably in India and Somalia.

Alexandrian Senna is a shrubby plant that reaches 0.5-1, rarely two meters in height with branched pale green erect stem, long spreading branches, bearing four or five pairs of leaves. These are complex feathery mutual pairs. The leaflets are varying from 4 to 6 pairs, fully edged, with a sharp top. The midribs are equally divided at the base of the leaflets. The flowers are in a raceme interiorVerify source|date=December 2007 blossoms, big in size, coloured yellow that tends to brown. Its legume fruit are horned, broadly oblong, compressed and flat and contain about six seeds.

When cultured, twice a year the plants are cut down, dried in the sun, stripped and packed in palm-leaf bags and sent on camels to Essouan and Darao, then up the Nile to Cairo or else to Red Sea ports. For the nomadic Ababda for example, trade in senna provides a significant source of income.

Names and taxonomy

"S. alexandrina" is also known under the names Egyptian Senna, Tinnevelly Senna, East Indian Senna or the French "sene de la palthe"

It received the names "Alexandrian Senna" and "Egyptian Senna" because Alexandria in Egypt was the main trade port in past times. The fruits and leaves were transported from Nubia and Sudan and other places to Alexandria then from it and across the Mediterranean sea to Europe and adjacent Asia.

Though it might look like a scientific name, "Cassia Officinalis" is actually the apothecary term for this plant, and hence "Officinalis" - the Latin adjective denoting tools, utensils and medical compounds - is written with a large "o", unlike in specific names which are always written small today.

Synonyms: [ILDIS (2005)]
* "Cassia acutifolia" Delile
* "Cassia alexandrina" (Garsault) Thell.
* "Cassia angustifolia" M. Vahl
* "Cassia lanceolata" Collad.Verify source|date=December 2007 :"C. lanceolata" Link is a synonym of "Senna sophera" var. "sophera"):"C. lanceolata" Pers. is a synonym of "Chamaecrista desvauxii" var. "mollissima"
* "Cassia lenitiva" Bisch.Verify source|date=December 2007
* "Cassia senna" L.
* "Senna acutifolia" (Delile) Batka
* "Senna alexandrina" Garsault
* "Senna angustifolia" (Vahl) Batka

Footnotes

References

*Verify source|date=December 2007 (1993): "Medicinal plants & Aromatic plants - Its chemistry-production-benefits" (2nd ed.). Dar el Maaref, Alexandria.
* (2005): [http://www.ildis.org/ Genera "Cassia" and "Senna"] . Version 10.01, November 2005. Retrieved 2007-DEC-20.
* (1982): The American Cassiinae. "Memoirs of the New York Botanical Garden" 35: 1-918

External links

[http://botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/s/senna-42.html Senna alexandrina profile at botanical.com]