Chamaecrista absus, Cassia absus
Genus: Chamaecrista
Botanical name: Chamaecrista absus Cassia absus
PLANT NAME IN DIFFERENT LANGUAGES
Sanskrit: Arangakulitthika, aranyakulattha, Aranyakulatthika
Hindi: Banar, Bankultthi, Chaksi
English: Tropical Sensitive Pea
Malayalam: Karinkolla
MEDICINAL PROPERTIES
Karinkolla is a glandular-hairy annual herb, growing up to 60 cm tall. Leaf stalks are up to 4 cm, without a gland. Leaves are compound with 2 pairs of opposite leaflets with a gland on the main rib between each pair. Flowers are borne at the end of branches. Petals are 5-6 mm, yellow, orange, salmon or pinkish-red with reddish-brown veins. Stamens are 5, nearly equal, filaments straight. Pods are 3-6 cm long, flat. Tropical Sensitive Pea is found in disturbed grassland or open woodland, also on roadsides, and former cultivated areas.
The leaves are bitter, astringent, constipating and expectorant. They are useful in vitiated conditions of kapha, tumours, anaemia, diarrhoea, cough, asthma and hiccough. The seeds are useful in vitiated conditions of kapha and pitta such as conjunctivits, dysopia, cataract, diarrhoea, dysentery, poisonous bits, wounds and bruises.