Cassia Fistula
Family : Fabaceae
Common Name : Rajbrikh
English Name : Golden shower
Hindi Name : Suvarnaka
Telugu Name : Rela
Bengali Name : Sondal
Tree Characteristics :
Cassia fistula is a medium sized deciduous tree, 10 m tall with a straighttrunk to 5 m, 1 m diameter and spreading branches. Stem bark pale grey,smooth and slender when young and dark brown and rough when old. Leaves alternate, pinnate, 30-40 cm long, with 4-8 pairs of ovate leaflets. Flowers bright yellow in terminal, drooping racemes, 30-60 cm long; Cassia fistula is widely grown as an ornamental plant in tropical and subtropical areas. It blooms in late spring. Flowering is profuse, with trees being covered with yellow flowers, many times with almost no leaf being seen. It will grow well in dry climates.
Nursery:
Seeds are sown in primary beds in March-April. Germination takes place in early rains and continues for 6 to 7 weeks. Number of seeds per kg is 6000-7000. Soaking of seeds in cold water for about 24 hrs is recommended. They are pricked out to polybags in first rains and planted in the second rains.
Economic Uses:
Ø The bark is used for tanning and dyeing.
Ø The seeds of Cassia fistula are a potential commercial source of seed gum
Ø The heartwood is traditionally applied as an anthelmintic
Ø The bark is an ingredient in betel paste, the slightly narcotic masticatory that is popular in some areas of Asia.
Ø The flowers are edible. Leaves- Mildly laxative.
Fruit pulp. A sweet taste with a mucilaginous texture. Mildly laxative.
