Distinctive features of an African plant, tips for cultivating cassia, senna breeding rules, difficulties in leaving, interesting facts, species. Cassia (Cassia) belongs to the genus of plants that have a shrub, semi-shrub or herbaceous form of growth, all of them are included in the legume family (Fabaceae). Most often, these representatives of the flora can be found in their native habitat, which is common in the deserts of Asia and the African continent.
This term "cassia" refers to two more plants, which are also called cassia - this is the Chinese cinnamon (Cinnamomom aromaticum) and also the plant Cassia tora, which is currently referred to the genus Senna, its correct name must be considered - Senna tora. There is a real confusion about all of this. Other popular names for the plant are: Alexandrian leaf, senna, African cassia, Indian cassia, narrow-leaved cassia, Egyptian cassia, Alexandrian cassia, Chinese cinnamon, cinnamon.
In height, the plant can reach up to a meter with its branches. The leaves have double-pinned outlines, they are placed in the next order, they have 4-5 pairs of leaf lobes. The shape of the leaves is lanceolate, the outlines are pointed, whole-edged, there is a sharpening at the top, some unevenness is observed at the base. In length, the entire sheet can reach 30 cm.
When blooming, flowers with yellow petals are formed. The calyx has five sepals, the shape of the petals is wide, the form is marigold, uneven, prostrate. From the buds, racemose inflorescences are collected, which originate in the leaf axils. There are 10 stamens inside the moth corolla. The ovary is placed on a stem, the column has filiform contours, curved. In full disclosure, the diameter of the flower reaches 2 cm. The flowering process takes place from late June to autumn.
After pollination of flowers, fruits ripen, which are shaped like beans. Their outlines are cylindrical, flat, cloisonné. Often the fruits are used in folk medicine, as a laxative and for their diuretic effect. Cassia bark is used to produce cinnamon. Most often, this representative of the flora is cultivated in Vietnam, China and Indonesia. Often, the plant does not occur in the wild. Can be used for bonsai cultivation.
Recommendations for growing cassia, care
- Illumination. Preferably bright, but diffused lighting, devoid of direct sunlight.
- Content temperature in summer it should be roomy, and with the arrival of autumn and winter it should fluctuate within 15-16 degrees.
- Watering and humidity. When growing cassia in the spring-summer months, it is worth moistening the soil regularly and abundantly, but with the arrival of cold weather, it is recommended to reduce watering. When the temperature of the content is hanging, the plant should be sprayed, but with the arrival of autumn, spraying stops.
- Fertilizers for a plant, they are introduced from the beginning of its vegetation activity (from March to September). Organic and combined preparations are used. The regularity of such fertilizers is once every two weeks. In winter, they do not feed, since oversaturation threatens to abandon flowering.
- Casia transplant and soil selection. It is necessary to change the pot and the substrate in it only if necessary, if the entire earthen mixture has been mastered by the root system of the flower. In any case, such a procedure is carried out only once every few years for adult specimens, it is recommended to transplant the "young" annually.
The substrate for growing cassia must have nutritious properties, be loose, with sufficient water and air permeability.
Senna self-breeding tips
To get a new cassia bush, you can sow seeds, as well as cut plants.
When grafting, the twigs should be cut at the end of the summer period, and then planted in a substrate based on sand and peat. Then it will be necessary to ensure the conditions of a mini-greenhouse during germination, that is, wrap the cuttings with a plastic bag or put under a glass cover. The accumulated condensate should be removed daily, and the soil should be moistened if it dries out. When new leaves and sprouts begin to form on the cuttings, the young cassia are transplanted in separate pots with a selected substrate.
If it is decided to sow seeds, then this procedure is carried out with the arrival of spring days, this will help the seedlings to get stronger enough before the fall. Sowing substrate should be slightly acidic and fertile enough. Seeding is carried out to a depth of no more than 1 cm. Then the crops should be sprayed immediately. The container with seeds is covered with a transparent lid, a piece of glass or plastic wrap. This will create an environment with high humidity and warmth. Do not warm up the soil during germination. Do not forget about airing and moistening the soil if they are dry. After a few weeks, shoots can be expected. When a pair of real leaves appear on young cassias, then you can transplant in separate pots with the appropriate soil. Such plants should be looked after as for adult specimens.
Diseases and pests of cassia
If the humidity is high or the plant was fertilized in winter, then this does not allow cassia buds to form, that is, there was a violation of winter dormancy. Also, flowers do not appear if the light level is very low. When the plant has undergone a fungal disease, spots appear on the leaf plates and root collar. Such diseases are cercomorosis and cladosporiosis. To combat them, it is necessary to transplant and remove the affected parts, as well as treatment with fungicides.
When the conditions of detention are violated, cassia is often attacked by harmful insects such as leaf rollers, aphids or worms. It will be necessary to spray with insecticidal preparations.
Interesting facts about cassia
Attention! Cassia is poisonous, so it should be taken into account when growing it in rooms where there is access to the plant for small children or pets.
Despite all these caveats, cassia is an excellent mild laxative and also has a diuretic effect (if the dosage is large). In China, it is also used to improve appetite and the digestive system, if the dosage is low. It also helps those people who are sick with glaucoma, constipation, have edema and oligomenorrhea. You can also use Chinese cinnamon for external problems, for example, with pyoderma and various skin problems, and it is also recommended for conjunctivitis. Cassia has the ability to stimulate the circulatory system, as this spice is able to improve blood flow. If a person has frequent migraines, nervous irritations, gastritis or vomiting, cassia will help.
The collection of bark from trees is carried out during the rainy season, and at the same time the plant itself must cross the 7-year boundary. Only in this case the bark is easily separated from the trunk wood. The upper layer of the collected material is separated, and the lower one must be divided into strips, which are dried. The dried bark takes on a reddish-brown hue and the surface begins to sag slightly. Usually, the outer part of the bark covering, which is dark brown in color, does not peel off very well when compared to cinnamon from the island of Ceylon. This explains the unevenness and rough surface (from 3 mm to 1 cm) of parts of the bark of the Chinese cinnamon, and therefore it is not possible to give it a tubular shape.
It is Chinese cinnamon that has been cultivated by the inhabitants of the Middle Kingdom for more than 4, 5 thousand years. Even in ancient times, cassia was brought to the lands of Egypt, where the priests used it as part of components for mummification. But in Israel, this product (Chinese cinnamon) was used only as a spice, replacing ordinary cinnamon with it. There is historical and chronicle information that the countries of Europe got acquainted with cassia, as the first type of cinnamon, during the reign of Alexander the Great.
It should also be noted that cassia is commonly used in cooking. It is in perfect harmony with bergamot, cardamom, as well as orange and fennel. It is often popular in pastry making, where it is added to flavor the dough. Often, a variety of drinks and sauces are prepared using Chinese cinnamon.
Types of cassia (senna)
Cassia tubular (Cassia fistula). The growing area falls on the lands of southern Pakistan, India, Myanmar, as well as in Sri Lanka and a number of other countries in South and Southeast Asia. Cultivation is carried out mainly within the specified area, and the plant is often grown on the African continent, South America and the Antilles. The cassia tree flower is the national symbol of Thailand. It is a deciduous plant with a tree-like form of growth, which reaches a height of 10–20 m. The leaf plates are arranged in a regular order, their form is paired-pinnately complex. Their sizes vary in length within 15-60 cm, there are 3-8 pairs of leaf lobes. The dimensions of each leaflet are 7–21 cm with a width of up to 4–9 cm.
During flowering, the buds are collected in racemose inflorescences, which reach 20–40 cm in length. The diameter of a flower can vary within 4–7 cm, it has five petals with a bright equally yellow color. The fruit ripens in the form of a cylindrical bean of brown-black color, it usually does not open, its shell is fragile and woody. The length of the pod is 50–70 cm with a diameter of about 2, 5–3 cm. Inside this fruit, there are multiple divisions into partitions located transversely and forming a kind of chambers. Each such chamber contains a hard seed with a shiny surface, it lies horizontally and is surrounded by dark flesh with a sour-sweet taste.
Often, a decoction of these beans is used as a mild laxative given to young children.
Cassia acutifolia Del can be found under the name Senna acutifolia, Senna Alexandrian or Alexandrian leaf, Alexandrian pod (Alexandrian Senna). It is a perennial with a shrub or semi-shrub form of growth, preferring to settle in the tropical desert zones of Africa and Asia. The height of the erect stem does not exceed a meter. The root of the plant is pivotal, low-branched, going deep enough into the ground. The leaf plates are alternate, their outlines are complex, paired, 4–8 pairs of leaflets are available. The shape of such leaf lobes is lanceolate, the edge is solid, there is a sharpening at the top, they themselves are peaked with a leathery surface. The leaflets are attached to the axis with short petioles.
The flowers are formed of irregular contours, painted in a yellowish tint, can be white or pinkish, racemose inflorescences are collected from them, originating in the leaf sinuses. The ripening fruit is a reticulated pod, which can be either short or elongated, with multiple seeds inside. They have a yellowish or greenish tone, their outlines are flat, the surface is partly wrinkled, they take an angular-heart-shaped or almost quadrangular shape. The size of the bean reaches 5.5 cm in length with a width of about 2.5 cm. Its color is dark brown. If you measure the mass of 1000 seeds, then they will weigh 36-40 grams. The flowering process occurs in June-August, and the fruits ripen in September.
Cassia eremophila often grows on the lands of the Australian continent in the desert, where there are subtropical climates. They have the shape of a small tree or shrub, which does not exceed 2 meters in height. The crown of this plant is rounded. However, in extreme conditions, its leaves can shrink to the form of needles. Basically, the shape of the leaf plate is finely cylindrical or narrow and flattened, in length it can reach 2.5–5 cm. Leaves grow in pairs, crowning the top of a thin cylindrical stem.
The plant is adorned with abundantly flowering ring-shaped buds during flowering. The color of the petals of the flowers is bright yellow. The flower is moth-shaped; corollas have standard wings and keel.
When fruiting, pod-like fruits are formed that closely resemble acacia beans. Hard seeds with a shiny surface are placed inside.
They often settle on deep sands and sandy soils that cover clay substrates, often in very windy places. The growth rate is very high. From seed to a meter in height, this variety grows for only three years.
Cassia aubrevillei mainly grows in the tropical lands of West Africa, Gabon, Cote d'Ivoire. A forest tree endangered due to uncontrolled timber extraction and deforestation. The species is named after the botanist from France Andre Obreville (1897-1982). Studies have been carried out to investigate the bark of this tree, whether it has antifilarial and antimiliary properties.
Cassia hippophallus (Cassia hippophallus) is endemic to the island of Madagascar (namely in the provinces of Antsiranana and Mahajanga), prefers to grow with a dry sub-humid bioclimate in a wooded area at absolute heights of 0-499 m. Wood of this variety is used in construction. The leaves and pulp of the fruit has a laxative effect.
It is a deciduous shrub or a small tree, whose branches reach a height of 15–20 meters with a trunk diameter of up to 50 cm. The trunk is covered with pale gray bark, rough to the touch. The color of the branches is gray. The leaves are arranged spirally, doubly pinnate, with 13–20 pairs of leaf lobes. The stipules are almond-shaped, the petiole reaches 2–4 cm in length. The leaflets are usually located opposite, their shape is from oblong to elliptical, there is a slight asymmetry. Their size is 2–5 cm long and about 0.5–2 cm wide. There are short hairs on the surface.
Inflorescences can be located both at the ends of branches and originate in the leaf axils, they measure up to 30 cm in length. Their outlines are in the form of large panicles. The flowers from which the inflorescences are collected are bisexual, almost regular in shape, five-petalled. Their color is yellow, the petals of the corolla are free, oblong-elliptical in length, reaching 1.5–2 cm. There are 10 stamens inside the corolla. When fruiting, a cylindrical, pod-shaped bean ripens, up to 8–20 cm long and about 2, 5–3 cm wide. It is usually woody, wrinkled, its color is dark brown, inside there are multiple seeds surrounded by pulp. Their shape is ovoid, they are flattened in length, measuring 1 cm, their color is brown, the surface is glossy.
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