✵This article documents Cassia Seed—including its English name, Latin name, Pinyin name, properties and flavor, botanical sources—two species: (1) Cassia obtusifolia L. and (2) Cassia tora L., detailed botanical descriptions of both species, their growth characteristics and ecological environments, characteristics of the herb, pharmacological actions, medicinal efficacy, and administration guidelines.
Semen Cassiae (Cassia Seed)
Pinyin Name: Jué Mínɡ Zǐ
English Name: Cassia Seed
Latin Name:Semen Cassiae Properties and Flavor: Slightly cold; bitter, sweet, and salty
Brief Introduction:Semen Cassiae is the dried, ripe seed of Cassia obtusifolia L. or Cassia tora L. It is used (1) to clear liver heat and improve vision—indicated for acute ocular inflammation; (2) to moisten the intestines and relieve constipation; and (3) currently employed for reducing hypertension and hypercholesterolemia. It is commonly known as Semen Cassiae, Cassia Seed, or Jué Míng Zǐ.
Botanical Source:Semen Cassiae (Cassia Seed) is the dried, ripe seed of Cassia obtusifolia L. or Cassia tora L.—plants belonging to the genus Senna, family Fabaceae (Leguminosae, legume or pea family), order Fabales. The two commonly used species are described below:
(1).Cassia obtusifolia L.
Botanical Description:Cassia obtusifolia L. is a plant of the Fabaceae family and genus Senna. It is commonly known as Jue Ming, Dun Ye Jue Ming ("peltate-leaf Cassia"), or Jia Hua Sheng ("false peanut"). It is an annual subshrub herb reaching 0.5–2 meters in height. Leaves are alternate and pinnately compound; petioles measure 2–3 cm; there are three pairs of leaflets; leaf blades are obovate or obovate-oblong, 2–6 cm long and 1.5–3.5 cm wide; the apex is rounded, and the base is cuneate and slightly asymmetrical; the abaxial surface and margins bear sparse pubescence; a single, stripe-shaped gland occurs between the lowest pair of leaflets—or occasionally between the two lowest pairs.
Flowers occur in pairs, axillary; inflorescences are terminal clusters. The peduncle is very short; pedicels are small, about 1–2 cm long. There are 5 obovate sepals. The corolla is yellow, with 5 obovate petals, 12–15 mm long, each petal bearing a claw at the base. There are 10 stamens: 7 are fertile, and the apices of the 3 larger anthers narrow into a bottle-necked shape. The ovary is slender; the style is curved.
Pods (legumes) are slender, nearly quadrangular or slightly oblate-rhomboid, 15–20 cm long and 3–4 mm wide; fruit stalks (carpopodia) are 2–4 cm long. Seeds are numerous, prismatic or slightly oblate-prismatic, hazel (pale brown), glossy, each bearing a single, linear, obliquely oriented, dimpled groove. Flowering occurs from June to August; fruiting occurs from August to October.
Ecological Environment: Cassia obtusifolia grows wild on hillsides, roadsides, barren hills, open forests on slopes, and in cultivated fields.
Growth Characteristics: Cassia obtusifolia prefers a warm, humid climate with abundant sunlight. It grows most rapidly during the hot, rainy summer months. The ideal soil is loose, fertile, sandy loam; low-lying or shaded slopes are unsuitable for cultivation. Continuous cropping should be avoided.
Characteristics of the Herb: The herb is a short, prismatic cylinder: one end is blunt, the other obliquely pointed; it measures 4–6 mm in length and 2–3 mm in width. The surface is brownish-green or dark brown, smooth and glossy, with a raised ridge along the dorsal and ventral surfaces. On either side of this ridge lies a light brown, linear, concave line exhibiting oblique symmetry. The herb is hard and not easily broken. In cross-section, the seed coat (spermoderm) is thin; the endosperm is grayish-white and translucent; the embryo is yellow, with two overlapping cotyledons bent into an S-shape. Intact seeds have a faint odor; when crushed, they emit a mild beany or fishy smell. The taste is slightly bitter and slightly mucilaginous.
Pharmacological Actions: (1) Hypotensive effect; (2) Antibacterial effect: The ethanolic extract of Cassia seed inhibits Staphylococcus aureus, Corynebacterium diphtheriae, Salmonella typhi, Salmonella paratyphi, Escherichia coli, and other bacteria; the aqueous extract shows no such activity. An aqueous infusion exhibits varying degrees of inhibitory activity against certain dermatophytes in vitro.
Medicinal Efficacy: Clears liver heat and improves vision; promotes diuresis and lubricates the intestines. Indicated for wind-heat red eye, glaucoma (including "blue blindness" and optic atrophy), night blindness, hypertension, viral hepatitis, cirrhotic ascites, and habitual constipation.
Administration of Semen Cassiae (Jué Mínɡ Zǐ):
Reference:
Administration Guide for Semen Cassiae (Jué Mínɡ Zǐ)
TCM Books:
(1) Internally: 9–15 grams; (2) Internally: water decoction, 1.5–3 qián (≈4.5–9 grams), or prepared as a powder. External use: finely ground into powder and applied topically as a paste; (3) Internally: water decoction, 9–15 grams.
Precautions and Adverse Reactions: Semen Cassiae should be used with caution in cases of diarrhea or hypotension.
(2) Cassia tora L.
Botanical Description: Cassia tora L. is a plant of the Fabaceae family and genus Senna. It is commonly known as Xiǎo Jué Míng. It is an annual subshrub reaching 1–2 meters in height. Leaves are alternate and pinnately compound; the petiole lacks glands, but a single, rod-shaped gland occurs between the two leaflets on the rachis. There are three pairs of membranous leaflets; petiolules measure 1.5–2 mm; stipules (perphylla) are linear, pubescent, and caducous. Leaf blades are obovate or obovate-oblong, 2–6 cm long and 1.5–2.5 cm wide; the apex is obtuse with a short mucro; the base is attenuate and asymmetrical; the upper surface is sparsely pubescent; the lower surface is densely covered with soft, silky pubescence.
Typically, two flowers arise from each leaf axil; peduncles are 6–10 mm long; pedicels are 1–1.5 cm long. There are 5 sepals—slightly unequal in size—ovate or ovate-oblong, membranous, pilose on the outer surface, ≈8 mm long. Flowers are yellow, with 5 petals; the two lower petals are slightly longer, measuring 12–15 mm in length and 5–7 mm in width. There are 10 stamens, 7 of which are fertile. The ovary is linear and sessile, covered with white tomentum (fine, dense, matted hairs); the style is introflexed.
Fruits are slender, nearly oblate and curved calathiform (bowl-shaped), 15–24 cm long and 4–6 mm in diameter, sparsely pubescent. Seeds are numerous, rhomboid, celadon (grayish-green), and glossy. Flowering occurs from June to August; fruiting occurs from September to October.
Growth Characteristics: Cassia tora grows wild on hillsides and riversides, and is also found in cultivated fields.
Characteristics of the Herb: The herb is short, cylindrical, 3–5 mm in length and 2–2.5 mm in width. A broad, light yellowish-brown stripe occurs on each side of the surface ridge.
✵This article documents Cassia Seed—including its English name, Latin name, Pinyin name, properties and flavor, botanical sources—two species: (1) Cassia obtusifolia L. and (2) Cassia tora L., detailed botanical descriptions of both species, their growth characteristics and ecological environments, characteristics of the herb, pharmacological actions, medicinal efficacy, and administration guidelines.
Pinyin Name: Jué Mínɡ Zǐ
Botanical Description: Cassia obtusifolia L. is a plant of the Fabaceae family and genus Senna. It is commonly known as Jue Ming, Dun Ye Jue Ming ("peltate-leaf Cassia"), or Jia Hua Sheng ("false peanut"). It is an annual subshrub herb reaching 0.5–2 meters in height. Leaves are alternate and pinnately compound; petioles measure 2–3 cm; there are three pairs of leaflets; leaf blades are obovate or obovate-oblong, 2–6 cm long and 1.5–3.5 cm wide; the apex is rounded, and the base is cuneate and slightly asymmetrical; the abaxial surface and margins bear sparse pubescence; a single, stripe-shaped gland occurs between the lowest pair of leaflets—or occasionally between the two lowest pairs.
Characteristics of the Herb: The herb is a short, prismatic cylinder: one end is blunt, the other obliquely pointed; it measures 4–6 mm in length and 2–3 mm in width. The surface is brownish-green or dark brown, smooth and glossy, with a raised ridge along the dorsal and ventral surfaces. On either side of this ridge lies a light brown, linear, concave line exhibiting oblique symmetry. The herb is hard and not easily broken. In cross-section, the seed coat (spermoderm) is thin; the endosperm is grayish-white and translucent; the embryo is yellow, with two overlapping cotyledons bent into an S-shape. Intact seeds have a faint odor; when crushed, they emit a mild beany or fishy smell. The taste is slightly bitter and slightly mucilaginous.
Botanical Description: Cassia tora L. is a plant of the Fabaceae family and genus Senna. It is commonly known as Xiǎo Jué Míng. It is an annual subshrub reaching 1–2 meters in height. Leaves are alternate and pinnately compound; the petiole lacks glands, but a single, rod-shaped gland occurs between the two leaflets on the rachis. There are three pairs of membranous leaflets; petiolules measure 1.5–2 mm; stipules (perphylla) are linear, pubescent, and caducous. Leaf blades are obovate or obovate-oblong, 2–6 cm long and 1.5–2.5 cm wide; the apex is obtuse with a short mucro; the base is attenuate and asymmetrical; the upper surface is sparsely pubescent; the lower surface is densely covered with soft, silky pubescence.
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