![]() Different Names of Amaltas In English this Indian Medicinal Plant is known as "Golden Shower" or "Indian Laburnum"; in Hindi, it is referred to as "Amaltas"; in Sanskrit as "Aragvadha"; in Malayalam as "Vishu Konnai"; in Tamil it is known as "Arakkuvadam" or "Konrai" and so on. The botanical name of Amaltas is "Cassia Fistula" and it belongs to the Gulmohur family. Characteristic Features of Amaltas Amaltas is a medium-sized tree, growing to 10-20 m tall with fast growth. Amaltas tree possesses grey coloured smooth barks spreading out in some small, woody scales up to a thickness of 1.5 cm. The leaves of this tree is paripinnate, usually 20 to 40 cm in length, petioles and rachis are glandless, leaflets are 3 to 8 pairs, markedly stalked, 5 to 15 cm in length and 3.5 to 9 cm in width, ovate or oblong, peak acute, base acute to wedge shaped, dressed with silvery pubescence during the younger period. The flowers of Amaltas are bright yellow in colour, axillary, pendulous, many-flowered lax racemes of 10 to 40 cm in length; 5 sepals, pubescent, green, ovate or oblong-obtuse; 5 free corolla, short-clawed, sub-equal and reddish-veined petals. The fruits of this tree are black or dark brown in colour, having a pendulous or cylindrical shape and it is usually 25 to 30 cm long. The diameter of the fruit or pod is 1.5 to 3 cm in diameter. The seeds of Amaltas are smooth, flat, small, light brown in colour. There are around 40 to 100 seeds in a pod or fruit, set in a sweetish black pulp. Flowers in this tree bloom from the months of April till October and the fruits of this tree are ripe from the months of December till April as per the local environment. Medicinal Values of Amaltas ![]() The leaves possess laxative and anti-periodic, and are used in the treatment of piles, externally for skin eruptions, ulcers, wounds, prurigo and pruritis. However, a paste of the fresh leaves is used internally by central Orissa tribal women to cure amenorrhoea. In the north-eastern parts of the state of Karnataka, the roots of Amaltas mixed with goat milk are given in little doses regularly for the treatment of breast diseases. The aqueous extract of the bark of the root shows anti-inflammatory activity. The edible flowers of this tree possess astringent, febrifugal, purgative and anti-bilious properties. |