Sarakkonrai is Cassia fistula, the golden shower tree — Vishu’s yellow cascade and the long, black, cylindrical pod Hindi shops call amaltas. Kew still files this one in Cassia, not Senna. The pulp in the pod is a traditional laxative article.
- Botanical name
- Cassia fistula L.
- Family
- Fabaceae
- Tamil
- Sarakkonrai
- Hindi
- Amaltas
- Sanskrit
- Āragvadha
- Parts used
- Fruit pulp, Sometimes flowers and bark
- Habit
- Deciduous tree with hanging yellow racemes and long cylindrical pods
- Last updated
- 2026-10-30
How to recognise Sarakkonrai
Linnaeus published Cassia fistula. The family is Fabaceae. It is a medium deciduous tree with even-pinnate leaves, hanging racemes of bright yellow flowers, and a long, straight, dark cylindrical pod divided inside into pulp-filled cells, each with a seed.
The pod is the trade object: a black stick a foot or more long, the pulp dark and sweet-bitter. Flowers are a separate, more ceremonial article. Bark is a third and should be labelled as bark.
Tamil sarakkonrai / konrai, Hindi amaltas and Sanskrit āragvadha are the names when the seller means this tree. English golden shower and Indian laburnum are this species. It is not European laburnum (Laburnum anagyroides), which is a different, more poisonous pea-tree.
Senna alexandrina and Senna auriculata are cousins with different jobs. A “cassia” in a laxative aisle is often senna. Write Cassia fistula if you mean the golden shower pod.
A flowering avenue in April–May and a pod in a vaithiyar’s tin are the same tree at different seasons.
Buy the pulp still in its pod: a long, dark, cylindrical stick that can pass half a metre.
Traditional use of Sarakkonrai
South Indian ceremony
Konrai is a Vishu and Vishu-kani flower in Kerala and a temple tree in Tamil country. That cultural use does not require a medical claim.
Living festival and temple practice
Ayurveda and Siddha
Āragvadha / sarakkonrai pulp is a famous mild-laxative heading in those systems. The heading is historical.
Ayurvedic and Siddha headings
Modern notes on Sarakkonrai
Anthraquinone-type laxative chemistry is the reason this pod appears in old pharmacopoeias. Chemistry is not a reason to swallow an unnamed paste.
The practical modern issue is other Cassia/Senna pulps sold under the most famous tree’s name.
Sarakkonrai safety
Flower as an offering is the ordinary ceremonial exposure. The pulp is a laxative; do not give it to children as a sweet, however it tastes.
Laxative anthraquinones are a reason not to treat this pod as candy. Pregnant people and children should not be put on pulp from a festival story.
European laburnum seeds are a different, more dangerous pea. Do not let the English name “laburnum” send anyone to the wrong tree.
Ecology and sourcing
The tree is planted and also wild in dry forest. Flower and fallen-pod collection do not kill it. Bark stripping does more harm.
Related plants
Also in Fabaceae
Questions about Sarakkonrai
Is konrai the same as aavarai?
No. Sarakkonrai is the tree Cassia fistula. Aavarai is the shrub Senna auriculata. Both have yellow pea-flowers. They are different plants.
What is the Tamil name of Cassia fistula?
Sarakkonrai.
Sources
- Cassia fistula L. — Plants of the World Online, Kew (search) (accessed 2026)
- Wikidata item Q161117 (Cassia fistula)
Educational page about a plant. It is not medical advice, not a diagnosis, and not an offer to sell. Traditional use is historical. If you need care, ask a licensed clinician. Questions: hello@meevamed.com.