Leguminosae (caesalpiniaceae)
Description
This item is from "Some Common Medicinal And Poisonous Plants Used In Ethiopian Folk Medicine" work, by Amare Getahun.
Leguminosae (caesalpiniaceae)
Cassia cf. floribunda car.
sornema (K)
Seeds are boiled for use against snake bites. It is also used as a laxatives.
Cassia holosericea Fresen
source of Aden senna, used in medicine.
Pterolobium stellatum (Forsk.) Brenan.
kenteffa (A)
arangama (G)
Fresh leaves are chewed for medicinal purposes, e.g. for tuberculosis and related respiratory diseases.
Tamarindus indicus L.
homar (A)
roka (G)
ragai (Sod)
tamarind-hendi (Arabic)
A fairly large evergreen tree up to 15 m high. It is found in humid lowland woodland areas between 8OO and 1600 m. in altitude, and in this range it is commonly seen near river edges and anthills.
The wood makes an excellent charcoal.
The fruit is used as refrigerant, digestive, carminative, laxative, and antiscorbutic. With sugar and water, the fruit makes a colling drink and is use in place of lime juice. In Asmara both the dried fruits and the juice are actually sold in shops. The leaves are high in acid and are used as poultices in boils. The seeds are used against diarrhea.
The over-ripe fruit is used to clean copper and brass perhaps because of acidity.
The older bark contains 7 per cent tannin and is used in tanning.
Note: Sitting under the shade of one of these large trees seems to give a cooling effect in much the same way as the drink. The shade has an "acidic" feel. This is no doubt due to the volatile oils that saturate the air surrounding the tree when it is in flower or fruit.
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