Tinnevelly senna (Senna alexandrina)

Senna alexandrina is the senna of the pharmacy: its dried leaflets and pods contain sennosides, a stimulant laxative used worldwide. India is a leading producer, and Tamil Nadu’s Tirunelveli district gave its name to Tinnevelly senna. It is a medicine with real effects and real cautions, not a tea for daily use.

Botanical name: Senna alexandrina Mill.
Family: Fabaceae
Tamil: Nilavarai
Hindi: Sonamukhi
Sanskrit: Svarṇapatrī
Parts used: Dried leaflets, Pods
Habit: Pharmacist senna; shop senna is a genus word
Last updated: 2026-10-26

How to recognise Tinnevelly senna

It is a small, bushy shrub, usually under a metre, with pinnate leaves of four to eight pairs of narrow, pointed, pale grey-green leaflets.

Bright yellow flowers grow in upright spikes.

The pods are flat, broad, curved and papery, light brown when dry, with a few seeds.

Its leaflets are narrower and paler than those of most other sennas.

Traditional use of Tinnevelly senna

Arab and Unani medicine

Senna was traded from Arabia and Egypt through Alexandria, hence the name, and used as a purgative in Arab, Unani and European medicine.

Historical materia medica

Indian cultivation

Farmers in Tirunelveli, Thoothukudi and Ramanathapuram grow it as a dryland crop for export.

Tamil Nadu farm practice

Modern notes on Tinnevelly senna

Sennosides are stimulant laxatives approved in many countries for short-term relief of constipation.

Long-term use can cause dependence, electrolyte loss and bowel changes, which is why it is not a daily tea.

Tinnevelly senna safety

Use senna only for short periods, at the recommended dose. Avoid it in pregnancy, in children and with bowel obstruction or inflammatory bowel disease unless a doctor advises it.

Ecology and sourcing

It is native to North Africa and the Arabian Peninsula and grows in hot, dry conditions.

In India it is cultivated mainly in southern Tamil Nadu, Gujarat and Rajasthan.

It tolerates poor, sandy soils and little rain, which suits it to dryland farming.

Related plants

Also in Fabaceae

Questions about Tinnevelly senna

Why Tinnevelly senna?

After Tirunelveli in Tamil Nadu, a major growing area.

What older names does Senna alexandrina go by?

Cassia angustifolia, Cassia acutifolia or Cassia senna.

Is senna tea safe every day?

No. It is for short-term use only.

How long does Tinnevelly senna take to work?

Usually six to twelve hours, which is why it is often taken at night.

Sources

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.