Mostly evergreen shrubs , principally from tropical America , belonging to the Pea family , Leguminosae . They grow from 6 - 50 ft . in height , have pinnate , dark unripened , glossy leaves , and give birth golden - yellow flowers in terminal clump in summer . Cassia is from the original Greek nameKasia .
Most Cassiasare stout outside in the far South only . There they grow freely in scant , well - drained soil in full sun . Some form , particularly Cassia corymbose , a South American kind , are desirable for growing in cool , cheery greenhouses . Others utile for this function are Cassia glauca , a aborigine of tropical Asia and Cassia splendida from Brazil .
Greenhouse Treatment
Under nursery refinement , a minimal winter temperature of 50 degrees is want . The best compost consist of equal section of peat and loam with gumption added . In February , the lateral or side shoot on the main branches are cut back to within three buds of the base of the retiring summertime ’s growth , and the leading shoot — those at the terminal of the main branches — are shortened by half . They are syringed frequently until the shoots break into growth , and are then repotted in turgid good deal . When established , cooler conditions are maintained and they are expose to full sunshine to ripen the growth for peak production in summertime .
When to Take Cuttings
Propagation is by shoot inserted in pots of sandy peat in March . They are placed in a propagating case in a heated greenhouse and when settle are pot in 3 - in . weed , being transfer later on to 5 - in . raft in which they produce flower the next summer . To see shaggy , well - furcate plant life the main shoots are pruned back to three or four bud and the side shoots are treated similarly . The plants need abundance of water during the summer when growth is vigorous , but small from October to March when the plants are resting , although the soil must not be allowed to remain ironic for any length of time .
A Hardy Kind
Cassia marilandica is a hardy plant life of eastern North America . It grows about 3 foot . high and has semi - arboraceous shoot that croak back to their bases in fall . It has pinnate foliage and bears concluding clustering of yellow flowers in previous summertime . The plant should , in cold neighborhood , be set in light , well - drained soil in April ; the roots should be protect with a bed of leafage or similar covering in wintertime . Propagation is by part of the works in spring as soon as increment commences . Seeds of Cassia may be sow in March inpots of easy soil in a greenhouse , temperature 55 - 65 degree .
Economic Uses
The senna of commerce is perhaps the most important product of the Cassias . It is a drug with laxative and psychotherapeutic properties , obtain from the leaf and pods of several variety . Thus Alexandrian Senna is the product of Cassia acutifolia , a bush find wild in Nubia and the Sudan ; Arabian or Tinnevelly Senna is obtained from Cassia angustifolia , a plant common in Arabia , southern India and other countries ; and American Senna folio are produced by Cassia marilandica , a United States shrub . Pods and parting are packed separately in bales and prominent quantity enrol our drug markets .
