Whenever winter comes, anyone who has planted the Cassia fistula or the Cassia tree in their neighborhood will definitely smell the flowers of this tree clearly. Some say it smells refreshing, while others say it smells dizzy. But no matter what, the Cassia fistula has become a symbol of “cold wind.” In addition to being a large tree that provides good shade, the Cassia fistula also has good properties that help treat various symptoms as a Thai herb.
Cassia fistula or Sattabanna or Tinpet is a large tree with a height of about 12–20 meters, in the Apocynaceae family, originally native to Southeast Asia and found in all regions of Thailand. It is the provincial tree of Samut Sakhon.
Characteristics of the Indian laburnum plant
The bark of the Indian laburnum is thick but brittle. The surface of the trunk has small white-brown scales. When cut, it will have white latex. The trunk is straight and has many branches in layers. The inner bark is brown and has white latex. The leaves are in groups at the end of the branch, with about 5-7 leaves per cluster. The petiole is short. The leaf blade is elliptic to oblong to lanceolate to oblong or rounded to linear. The leaf tip is slightly pointed. The upper side of the leaf is dark green, the lower side is creamy white. If you pluck the leaf stalk, it will have white latex. The leaves are long, oval, rounded at the tip and pointed at the ufabet https://ufabet999.app base. The leaves are about 10-12 centimeters long. The flowers are light green in clusters at the end of the branches.
The mouth of the petals has long, fluffy hairs. The flowers have a very pungent smell. If you inhale a little, you will feel the fragrance. If you inhale a lot, you will feel dizzy. The smell is stronger at night than at other times. The flowers are in groups like needle flowers. There are about 7 groups of flowers per cluster. The flowers are yellowish white. They usually bloom from October to December. The fruit is a long pod, a pair or a single pod. It is slender, round, and about 20–30 centimeters long.
The health benefits of the Indian gooseberry plant
- The bark of the trunk has a bitter taste. Can be used to make medicine that helps stimulate appetite, lowers blood sugar levels, helps relieve symptoms of diabetes, and treats colds, coughs, and bronchitis.
- The bark of the trunk helps treat dysentery, diarrhea, chronic diarrhea, intestinal diseases and intestinal infections.
- The bark of the trunk is boiled in water for bathing to reduce itching and rashes.
- The latex from the trunk is used as ear drops to relieve earaches and as a dental filling to relieve toothaches.
- Young leaves are boiled and drunk to treat scurvy.
- The leaves and latex are used by Indians to treat wounds, ulcers, pustules and joint pain.
Precautions for the Cassia alata or Cassia fistula
Remember that the Alstonia scholaris and Cerbera odollam are not the same. The Alstonia scholaris has a smaller trunk and is found along water, canals, or mangrove forests. It has white flowers with a mild scent. The fruit is a round loop. If the fruit falls off the tree and dries.
The Indian laburnum tree has a taller trunk and larger flowers that are in clusters similar to the needle flowers. The fruit is a long, round, slender pod, and most importantly, it emits a stronger, more intense scent.