Cassia Fistula, Golden Shower Tree – 0.5 kg Seeds

Cassia Fistula, known as the golden shower tree and by other names, is a flowering plant in the family Fabaceae. The species is native to the Indian subcontinent and adjacent regions of Southeast Asia. It ranges from southern Pakistan eastward throughout India to Myanmar and Thailand and south to Sri Lanka. It is closely associated with the Mullai region of the Sangam landscape. It is the national tree of Thailand, and its flower is Thailand’s national flower. It is also the state flower of Kerala in India and of immense importance amongst the Malayali population. It is a popular ornamental plant and is also used in herbal medicine.

Medicinal Plants

In Ayurvedic medicine, the golden shower tree is known as aragvadha, meaning “disease killer”. The fruit pulp is considered a purgative, and self-medication or any use without medical supervision is strongly advised against in Ayurvedic texts.

Though its use in herbalism has been attested to for millennia, rather little research has been conducted in modern times. The purgative action is probably due to abundant 1,8-dihydroxyanthraquinone and derivatives thereof. Many Fabaceae are sources of potent entheogens and other psychoactive compounds such as tryptamines; such plants are rarely found among the Caesalpinioideae.