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Golden Shower Tree

 
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Golden Shower Tree
 
 
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"Cassia fistula" redirects here. This taxon
Taxon

A taxon or taxonomic unit is a name designating an organism or a group of organisms. In biological nomenclature according to Carl Linnaeus, a taxon is assigned a taxonomic rank and can be placed at a particular level in a systematic hierarchy reflecting evolutionary relationships....
 can also refer to other species
Species

In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring....
; see below.
"Canafistula" redirects here. This can also refer to Maloxo (Albizia inundata).


The Golden Shower Tree (Cassia fistula as described by Linné
Linne

Linne is a town in the Netherlands province of Limburg . It is a part of the municipality of Maasgouw, and lies about 6 km southwest of Roermond....
, and see below for other names) is a flowering plant
Flowering plant

The flowering plants or angiosperms are the most widespread group of Embryophytes. The flowering plants and the gymnosperms are the only extant groups of Spermatophyte....
 in the family Fabaceae
Fabaceae

Fabaceae or Leguminosae is a large and economically important family of flowering plants, which is commonly known as the legume family, pea family, bean family or pulse family....
, native to southern Asia
Asia

Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent. It covers 8.6% of the Earth's total surface area and, with over 4 billion people, it contains more than 60% of the world's current human population....
, from southern Pakistan
Pakistan

Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located in South Asia and borders Central Asia and the Middle East. It has a 1,046 kilometre coastline along the Arabian Sea and Gulf of Oman in the south, and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and People's Republic of China in th...
 east through India
India

India, officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and outlying territories by total area country by geographical area, the List of countries by population country, and the most populous liberal democracy in the world....
 to Myanmar
Myanmar

Burma, officially the Union of Myanmar, is the largest country by geographical area in mainland Southeast Asia, or Indochina. The country is bordered by the People's Republic of China on the northeast, Laos on the east, Thailand on the southeast, Bangladesh on the west, India on the northwest, and the Bay of Bengal to the southwest with...
 and south to Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is an island country in South Asia, located about off the southern coast of India....
.






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"Cassia fistula" redirects here. This taxon
Taxon

A taxon or taxonomic unit is a name designating an organism or a group of organisms. In biological nomenclature according to Carl Linnaeus, a taxon is assigned a taxonomic rank and can be placed at a particular level in a systematic hierarchy reflecting evolutionary relationships....
 can also refer to other species
Species

In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring....
; see below.
"Canafistula" redirects here. This can also refer to Maloxo (Albizia inundata).


The Golden Shower Tree (Cassia fistula as described by Linné
Linne

Linne is a town in the Netherlands province of Limburg . It is a part of the municipality of Maasgouw, and lies about 6 km southwest of Roermond....
, and see below for other names) is a flowering plant
Flowering plant

The flowering plants or angiosperms are the most widespread group of Embryophytes. The flowering plants and the gymnosperms are the only extant groups of Spermatophyte....
 in the family Fabaceae
Fabaceae

Fabaceae or Leguminosae is a large and economically important family of flowering plants, which is commonly known as the legume family, pea family, bean family or pulse family....
, native to southern Asia
Asia

Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent. It covers 8.6% of the Earth's total surface area and, with over 4 billion people, it contains more than 60% of the world's current human population....
, from southern Pakistan
Pakistan

Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located in South Asia and borders Central Asia and the Middle East. It has a 1,046 kilometre coastline along the Arabian Sea and Gulf of Oman in the south, and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and People's Republic of China in th...
 east through India
India

India, officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and outlying territories by total area country by geographical area, the List of countries by population country, and the most populous liberal democracy in the world....
 to Myanmar
Myanmar

Burma, officially the Union of Myanmar, is the largest country by geographical area in mainland Southeast Asia, or Indochina. The country is bordered by the People's Republic of China on the northeast, Laos on the east, Thailand on the southeast, Bangladesh on the west, India on the northwest, and the Bay of Bengal to the southwest with...
 and south to Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is an island country in South Asia, located about off the southern coast of India....
. Its blossom is the national flower of Thailand. The tree was first discovered by Susan Caroline Lee while on a research project based in Thailand.

It is a medium-sized tree
TREE

TREE was a Boston hardcore punk band formed in the summer of 1990. They were active in the Boston music scene until disbanding in 2002....
 growing to 10-20 m tall with fast growth. The leaves
Leaf

In botany, a leaf is an above-ground plant Organ specialized for photosynthesis. For this purpose, a leaf is typically flat and thin, to expose the cells containing chloroplast to light over a broad area, and to allow light to penetrate fully into the tissues....
 are deciduous
Deciduous

Deciduous means falling off at maturity or tending to fall off and is typically used in reference to trees or shrubs that lose their leaves seasonally and to the shedding of other plant structures such as petals after flowering or fruit when ripe....
 or semi-evergreen
Evergreen

In botany, an evergreen plant is a plant having leaf all year round. This contrasts with deciduous plants, which completely lose their foliage for part of the year....
, 15-60 cm long, pinnate with 3-8 pairs of leaflets, each leaflet 7-21 cm long and 4-9 cm broad. The flower
Flower

A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproduction structure found in flowering plants . The biological function of a flower is to mediate the union of male sperm with female ovum in order to produce seeds....
s are produced in pendulous raceme
Raceme

A raceme is a type of inflorescence that is unbranched and indeterminate growth and bears pedicellate flowers — flowers having short floral stalks called Pedicel s — along the axis....
s 20-40 cm long, each flower 4-7 cm diameter with five yellow petals of equal size and shape. The fruit
Fruit

The term fruit has different meanings dependent on context, and the term is not synonymous in food preparation and biology. In botany, which is the scientific study of plants, fruits are the ripened Ovary of flowering plants....
 is a legume
Legume

A legume is a plant in the family Fabaceae , or a fruit of these specific plants. A legume fruit is a Fruit#Simple fruit that develops from a simple carpel and usually Dehiscence on two sides....
 is 30-60 cm long and 1.5-2.5 cm broad, with a pungent odour and containing several seed
Seed

A seed is a small Plant embryogenesis plant enclosed in a covering called the seed coat, usually with some Food storage. It is the product of the ripened ovule of gymnosperm and angiosperm plants which occurs after fertilization and some growth within the mother plant....
s. The seeds are poisonous.

Cultivation and uses

Cassia fistula is widely grown as an ornamental plant
Ornamental plant

Ornamental plants are typically grown in the flower garden or as house plants. Most commonly they are grown for the display of their flowers. Other common ornamental features include leaves, scent, fruit, Plant stem and bark....
 in tropical and subtropical areas. It blooms in late spring (May on the northern, November on the southern hemisphere); flowering is profuse, with trees being covered with yellow flora, with almost no leaf being seen. Not recommended for dry climates. Growth is best in full sun on well-drained soil; it is drought and salt tolerant, but will be damaged by even short spells of freezing weather. It can be subject to mildew
Mildew

Mildew refers to certain kinds of mold or fungus. In Old English, it meant honeydew , and later came to mean mildew in the modern senses.*The term mildew is often used generically to refer to mold growth, usually with a flat growth habit....
, leaf spot
Leaf spot

Leaf Spots are round blemishes found on the Leaf of many species of plants, mostly caused by parasitic fungi or bacteria.A typical spot is "zonal", meaning it has a definite edge and often has a darker border....
 and root diseases.

In Ayurvedic medicine, Golden Shower Tree is known as aragvadha ("disease killer"). Its fruitpulp is used as mild laxative
Laxative

Laxatives are foods, compounds, or drugs taken to induce bowel movements or to loosen the stool, most often taken to treat constipation. Certain stimulant, lubricant, and saline laxatives are used to evacuate the Colon for rectum and bowel examinations, and may be supplemented by enemas in that circumstance....
, against fever
Fever

Fever is a frequent medical sign that describes an increase in internal body temperature to levels above normal. Fever is most accurately characterized as a temporary elevation in the body's thermoregulatory set-point, usually by about 1?2 ?C ....
s, arthritis
Arthritis

Arthritis is a group of conditions involving damage to the joints of the body. Arthritis is the leading cause of disability in people older than fifty-five years....
, vatavyadhi (nervous system
Nervous system

The nervous system is a Neural network of specialized cells that communicate information about an animal's surroundings and itself. It processes this information and causes reactions in other parts of the body....
 diseases), all kinds of rakta-pitta (bleeding, such as hematemesis
Hematemesis

Hematemesis or haematemesis is the vomiting of blood. The source is generally the upper gastrointestinal tract. Patients can easily confuse it with hemoptysis , although the former is more common....
 or hemorrhages), as well as cardiac conditions and stomach
Stomach

In most mammals, the stomach is a hollow muscular organ of the gastrointestinal tract involved in the second phase of digestion, following mastication....
 problems such as acid reflux. The root is considered a very strong purgative, and self-medication or any use without medical supervision is strongly advised against in Ayurvedic texts.

Though its use in herbalism
Herbalism

Herbalism is a traditional medicinal or folk medicine practice based on the use of plants and plant extracts. Herbalism is also known as botanical medicine, medical herbalism, herbal medicine, herbology, and phytotherapy....
 is attested to since millennia, there has been rather little research in modern times. While the purgative action is probably due to abundant 1,8-dihydroxyanthraquinone
Anthraquinone

Anthraquinone is an aromatic hydrocarbon organic compound. It is a derivative of anthracene. It has the appearance of yellow or light gray to gray-green solid crystalline powder....
 and derivates thereof, whether the reputed nervous system
Nervous system

The nervous system is a Neural network of specialized cells that communicate information about an animal's surroundings and itself. It processes this information and causes reactions in other parts of the body....
 (anti-vatavyadhi) effects are real and if, what causes them, is not known. While many Fabaceae
Fabaceae

Fabaceae or Leguminosae is a large and economically important family of flowering plants, which is commonly known as the legume family, pea family, bean family or pulse family....
 are a source of potent entheogen
Entheogen

An entheogen , in the strictest sense, is a psychoactive substance used in a religion or shamanism context. Historically, entheogens are derived primarily from plant sources and have been used in a variety of traditional religious contexts....
s and other psychoactive compounds (see e.g. tryptamine
Tryptamine

Tryptamine is a monoamine alkaloid found in plants, fungi, and animals. It is based around the indole ring structure, and is chemically related to the amino acid tryptophan, from which its name is derived....
s), such plants are rarely found among the Caesalpinioideae
Caesalpinioideae

Caesalpinioideae is a botanical name at the rank of subfamily, placed in the large family Fabaceae or Leguminosae. Its name is formed from the generic name Caesalpinia....
.

The golden shower tree is the national flower of Thailand
Thailand

The Kingdom of Thailand is an independent country that lies in the heart of Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Laos and Myanmar, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the west by the Andaman Sea and Myanmar....
; its yellow leaves symbolize Thai royalty
Chakri Dynasty

The Chakri Dynasty }} is the current Dynasty of the Kingdom of Thailand, the Head of the house is the King of Thailand. The Dynasty has ruled Thailand since the founding of the Ratthanakosin era and the city of Bangkok in 1782 following the end of King Taksin of Thonburi's reign, when the capital of Siam shifted to Bangkok....
. A 2006-2007 flower festival, the Royal Flora Ratchaphruek
Royal Flora Ratchaphruek

The Royal Flora Ratchaphruek was a flower festival held 1 November 2006, to 31 January 2007, in the Thailand city of Chiang Mai that drew 3,781,624 visitors....
, was named after the tree, which is most often called dok khuen or ratchaphruek in Thailand.

The golden shower tree is the state flower of Kerala
Kerala

Kerala is a Indian Union States and territories of India located in the southwestern part of India. With an Arabian Sea coastline on the west, it is bordered on the north by Karnataka and by Tamil Nadu on the south and east....
 in India
India

India, officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and outlying territories by total area country by geographical area, the List of countries by population country, and the most populous liberal democracy in the world....
. The flowers are of ritual importance in the Vishu
Vishu

Vishu - , is a festival held in the state of Kerala in South India . Similar festivals are celebrated in Punjab and Assam, in India, around the first day in the Malayalam calendar of Medam ....
 festival of Kerala state of India, and the tree was depicted on a 20 Indian rupee
Indian rupee

The rupee is the currency of India. The issuance of the currency is controlled by the Reserve Bank of India. The most commonly used symbols for the rupee are Rs, ? and ??....
s stamp. C. fistula is also featured on a 2003 joint Canadian
Canada

Canada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean....
-Thai design for a 48 cent stamp, part of a series featuring national emblem
National emblem

A national emblem national symbols represents a nation. Most national emblems originate in the natural world, such as animals or birds, but another object may serve....
s.

It has strong & very durable wood.There is please called "Ahala Kanuwa" in "Adems peek" "Sri Lanka" and its made by Cassia fistula(Ahala) heart wood.

Names and taxonomy


Being so conspicuous and widely planted, this tree has a number of common names. In English, it is usually known as Golden Shower Tree or Golden Shower Cassia. Other, less unambiguous names include Indian laburnum
Laburnum

Laburnum is a genus of two species of small trees in the subfamily Faboideae of the pea family Fabaceae, Laburnum anagyroides and Laburnum alpinum ....
, "golden shower" or "drumstick tree". It is known in Spanish
Spanish language

Spanish or Castilian is a Romance languages that originated in northern Spain, and gradually spread in the Kingdom of Castile and evolved into the principal language of government and trade....
-speaking countries as caña fistula.

Names from its native range and surrounding regions include:
  • Assamese
    Assamese language

    Assamese is the easternmost Indo-Aryan language that is spoken mainly in the States and territories of India of Assam in North-East India. It is also the official language of Assam....
    : Xonaru
  • Bangla: sonalu, bandar lathi
  • Chinese
    Chinese language

    Chinese or the Sinitic language is a language family consisting of language mutually unintelligible to varying degrees. Originally the indigenous languages spoken by the Han Chinese in China, it forms one of the two branches of Sino-Tibetan languages of languages....
    : a bó lè (???: Taiwan), là cháng shù ("sausage tree", ???)
  • Hindi
    Hindi

    Standard Hindi, also known as High Hindi, Nagari Hindi or Literary Hindi is a Standard language register of Hindi. It is one of the 22 official languages of India, and is used, along with English language, for administration of the central government....
    : bendra lathi (or bandarlauri), dhanbaher (or dhanbohar), girimaloah
  • Hindi and Urdu
    Urdu

    Urdu is a Central_Indo-Aryan_languages#Central_Zone_.28Madhya_or_Hindi.29 Indo-Aryan languages of the Indo-Iranian languages, belonging to the Indo-European languages family of languages....
    : amaltas
  • Japanese
    Japanese language

    IPA: [n?iho?go] is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities. It is related to the Ryukyuan languages....
    : nanban saikachi (???? ????)
  • Lao
    Lao language

    Lao or Laotian is a tonal language of the Kradai language family. It is the official language of Laos, and also spoken in the northeast of Thailand, where it is usually referred to as the Isan language....
    : khoun
  • Marathi: bahava
  • Malayalam: kanikkonna (or kani konna ??????????: Kerala), Vishu konna(???????????)
  • Meitei (Manipuri): chahui
  • Nepali
    Nepali language

    Nepali is a language in the Indo-Aryan languages of the Indo-European languages.It is the lingua-franca of Nepal and is also spoken in Bhutan, parts of India and parts of Myanmar ....
    : amaltash, rajbriksya
  • Sanskrit
    Sanskrit

    Sanskrit is a historical Indo-Aryan language, one of the liturgical languages of Hinduism and Buddhism, and one of the 22 official languages of India....
    : aragvadha, chaturangula, kritamala, suvarnaka
  • Sinhalese: aehaela-gaha (or ahalla-gass), ekela
  • Tamil
    Tamil language

    Tamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has Official language in India, Sri Lanka and Singapore....
    : konrai
  • Thai
    Thai language

    Thai , is the national language and official language language of Thailand and the mother tongue of the Thai people, Thailand's dominant ethnic group....
    : rachapruek (????????), khun, dok khuen


Gallery


Taxonomy

The Golden Shower Tree was named Cassia fistula by Carl Linnaeus. The name was erroneously used by John Patrick Micklethwait Brenan
John Patrick Micklethwait Brenan

John Patrick Micklethwait Brenan was a British botanist. He was born June 19, 1917 in Chislehurst and died September 26, 1985 at Kew.He received his Master of Arts from the University of Oxford in 1940 and began to work at the Imperial Forestry Institute in Oxford....
 for the Kenyan Shower Cassia, correctly known as C. afrofistula. Similarly, Francisco Manuel Blanco
Francisco Manuel Blanco

Francisco Manuel Blanco was a Spain friar and botanist....
 misapplied Linnaeus's name to the Apple-blossom Cassia subspecies
Subspecies

In biology, subspecies is the taxonomic rank immediately subordinate to a species. A subspecies is a taxonomic group which is less distinct than the Common descent or species from which it originates....
 C. javanica ssp. javanica.

In addition, numerous synonyms of C. fistula exist:
  • Bactyrilobium fistula Willd.
  • Cassia bonplandiana DC.
    A. P. de Candolle

    Augustin Pyramus de Candolle also spelt Augustin Pyrame de Candolle was a botanist. The author citation used in citing botanical name he published is "DC."....
  • Cassia excelsa Kunth
Cassia excelsa Schrad. is a synonym of Senna spectabilis var. excelsa
  • Cassia fistuloides Collad.
  • Cassia rhombifolia Roxb.
  • Cathartocarpus excelsus G.Don
  • Cathartocarpus fistula Pers.
  • Cathartocarpus fistuloides (Collad.) G.Don
  • Cathartocarpus rhombifolius G.Don
"Cassia fistulata" is a lapsus
Lapsus

Lapsus is an involuntary mistake made while writing or speaking. According to Sigmund Freud, in his early psychoanalytic theory it represents a missed deed that hides an unconscious desire....
.

Footnotes