Cassia abbreviata

Oliver

Long-tail cassia

Fabaceae Edible: Leaves, Caution Potential hazards — see below 736 iNaturalist observations

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Summary

Cassia abbreviata, commonly known as the sjambok pod or long-tail cassia, is a mostly tropical tree species in the genus Cassia, which is native to Africa.

Description

A tree. It grows 5-15 m tall. The small branches are brown. They have ridges along them. It loses its leaves during the year. The leaves are compound. The leaflets are opposite in 8-10 pairs. The flowers have a scent. The fruit is a dark brown to black pod. It is 20-100 cm long by 1.5-2 cm wide. It has many seeds. The seeds are dark brown and 12 mm long by 10 mm wide and 3 mm thick. They are broadly oval and flattened and enclosed in pulp.

Traditional Uses

The leaves are purgative.

This uses section is brief — help expand it

Medicinal Uses

The leaves are purgative.

Known Hazards

The leaves require caution.

Distribution

It is a tropical plant. It grows in woodland and can grow on termite mounds. It grows between 1-1,520 m above sea level. It can tolerate drought. It is damaged by frost, especially when young. It can grow in arid places. In Zimbabwe it grows in areas with a rainfall between 700-800 mm per year (var. beareana).

Where It Grows

Africa, Botswana, Central Africa, Congo DR, East Africa, Eswatini, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Somalia, Southern Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe,

Cultivation

Plants can be grown from seeds. Seeds are best soaked in boiling water for 20 minutes or left in warm water overnight then sown. Seeds germinate in 4-10 days. It has a long taproot so is best sown directly into the ground or transplanted early.

Propagation

Seed - it has a hard seedcoat and may benefit from scarification before sowing to speed up germination. This can usually be done by pouring a small amount of nearly boiling water on the seeds (being careful not to cook them!) and then soaking them for 12 - 24 hours in warm water. By this time they should have imbibed moisture and swollen - if they have not, then carefully make a nick in the seedcoat (being careful not to damage the embryo) and soak for a further 12 hours before sowing. Treated seeds germinate 4 - 10 days after sowing. They are sown in a sand-compost mixture (1:1) and should be kept warm and moist. The seedlings quickly develop a tap root and so it is better not to use seeding trays, but to sow directly into polythene bags or into the ground.

Other Uses

The stem bark is used for tanning and dyeing. The smell of the crushed leaves is said to drive snakes from their holes. The wood is heavy and dark brown. The heartwood has a coarse texture and shows pale blotches. The wood is used to make furniture, pestles and joinery. It is termite resistant and therefore the poles are preferred for house construction. The wood is used for fuel and is also a useful source of charcoal. Cassia abbreviata is a deep-rooting tree and is important in soil conservation and as a shade tree. The plant has potential for intercropping as it roots deeply and probably causes only limited competition with crops for nutrients and water.

Production

It grows slowly.

Notes

Also as Caesalpinaceae.

Synonyms

Cassia beareana HolmesCassia granitica BakerCassia abbreviata var. granatica (Baker. f.) Baker. f.

Also Known As

Dhuumood, Isihaqa, Mululwe, Munsoka-nsoka, Muremberembe, Mutipanoua, Muvheneka, Nanueba, Ntache, Ofothi, Salmasalmi, Sjambok pod, Yusur

References (7)

East African Herbarium records, 1981,
Flora Zambesiaca. http://apps.kew.org/efloras
Fowler, D. G., 2007, Zambian Plants: Their Vernacular Names and Uses. Kew. p 30
Peters, C. R., O'Brien, E. M., and Drummond, R.B., 1992, Edible Wild plants of Sub-saharan Africa. Kew. p 121
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (1999). Survey of Economic Plants for Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (SEPASAL) database. Published on the Internet; http://www.rbgkew.org.uk/ceb/sepasal/internet [Accessed 21st April 2011]

Show all 7 references