Cassia siamea, Lam.

(Syn. C. florida , Senna sumatrana)

Family: Leguminosae-Caesalpinioideae

Common Name : Iron wood

Telugu Name : Sima-tangedu

General :

Anative of Ceylone and very commonly planted in avenues. Identified by bright yellow flowers. Recommended for covering the denuded areas, hill slopes, flat terrain provided the drainage is good.

Flowering :

Mostly in hot season, but the flowering period is comparatively long.

Fruiting :

March-April.

Morphology of the Fruit/Seed :

Pods flat, 15-25 long; soft and ribbon like when young, purplish and brown when ripe; thickened at suture, indented between the seeds; minutely velvety. Many seeded, seeds dark-greenish.

Seed Collection and Storage :

Pods are collected by lopping the branches in March-April, dried and thrashed to harvest the seeds. One bag of pods gives about 9.5 Kgs of clean seed. Seed can be stored for 2 to 3 years in gunny bags or in sealed tins.

Seed Biology :

No.of seeds per kg.

Germination percentage

Plant percent

No. of seedlings per Kg. of seed

37,040

98

87

32,300

Pretreatment:

Not required.

Nursery Technique :

Either the seeds can be put in polythene bags directly or in primary beds and then pricked out to the bags. The growth of the seedlings is very fast.