Botanical Name
Cassia fistula L.
Family
Leguminosae/Caesalpiniaceae.
Synonyms
Bactyrilobium fistula Willd, Cassia bonplandiana DC, Cassia excels Kunth, Cassia fistuloides Collad, Cassia rhombifolia Roxb, Cathartocarpus excelsus G.Don, Cathartocarpus fistula Pers., Cathartocarpus fistuloides (Collad.) G.Don
Regional Name
English : Indian Laburnum, Purging cassia, Hindi: Amaltas, Sanskrit : Krtamala, Vyadhighata, Sampaka, Nrpadruma, Urdu : Khiyar Shambar, Punjabi : Amaltas, Assamese : Sonaroo, Bengali : Sondala, Gujrati : Garamala, Garamalo, Kannada : Aragvadha, Kakke, Kakke-gida, Kakkernara, Kakkedai, Rajataru, Kashmiri : Kriyangal Phali, Malayalam : Konna, Kritamalam, Marathi : Bahava, Garamala, Amaltas, Oriya : Sunari, Tamil : Sarakonrai, Sarak konnai, Sarak kondi, Sharakkonrai, Telugu : Rela.
Part Used
Legume, Fruit pulp, Seeds, Bark, Wood
Description
Amaltas is native to South East Asia, now globally distributed in the Pantropics. Within India, Within India, it is found both wild and cultivated almost throughout ascending to an altitude of 1200 m. in the Himalayas. It is a golden shower medium-sized tree, growing to 10–20 m (33-66 ft) tall with fast growth, throughout India as wild or cultivated plant, The fruit is a legume, 30–60 cm (12–24 in) long and 1.5–2.5 centimetres (0.59–0.98 in) broad, with a pungent odour and containing several seeds.
Phytoconstituents
Amaltas contains Sugar, mucilage, pectin, Anthraquinones 1.5% & Fistulic Acid. Main chemical components are anthraquinones, fistulic acid, rhein, rheinglucoside, sennosides A and B, phlobaphenes, emodin, chrysophanic acid, fistuacacidin, lupeol, beta-sitosterol and hexacosanol.
Ayurvedic Properties
Rasa: Madhura,Tikta, Guna: Guru, Vipaka: Madhura, Virya :Usna, Karma: Recana
Ayurvedic Applications
Gulma, Sula, Vibandha, Hrdroga, Prameha.
Medicinal Uses
Amaltas is used in the treatment of Cancer, Fever, Jaundice, Diabetes, skin diseases, wound, rheumatic ailments, erysipelas, constipation, diarrhoea, convulsions, delirium, dysuria, epilepsy, gravel, hematuria, pimples and glandular tumors.