Changes

| Medicinal= 1

}}

<big>''[[Cassia angolensis]]'' Welw. ex Hiern</big>

__NOTOC__

{{DISPLAYTITLE:''Cassia angolensis'' (PROTA)}}

:Protologue: Cat. afr. pl. 1: 291 (1896).

:Family: Caesalpiniaceae (Leguminosae - Caesalpinioideae)

== Vernacular names ==

== Origin and geographic distribution ==

Until the early 1980s, ''Cassia'' was considered a very large genus of about 550 species, but was then split into 3 genera: ''Cassia'' s.s. with about 30 species, ''Chamaecrista'' and ''Senna''. ''Cassia mannii'' Oliv. is very similar to ''Cassia angolensis'' but has white or pink petals, the leaflets are not distinctly emarginate and the margin of the leaflets is pubescent. ''Cassia mannii'' occurs from Côte d’Ivoire southwards to Gabon and eastwards to Sudan and Uganda. In Congo an infusion of the bark is taken to cure bronchial problems and the crushed seeds are applied to skin scarifications to treat neuralgia. The bark is used for tanning and the heartwood is handsome, hard, heavy and tough and is suitable for turning and polishing. Two other ''Cassia'' species occurring in the Guineo-Congolian rainforest zone, ''Cassia fikifiki'' Aubrév. & Pellegr. and ''Cassia aubrevillei'' Pellegr., are both reported to have medicinal uses. However, all uses on record are from western Côte d’Ivoire and from Liberia where ''Cassia aubrevillei'' does not occur and hence, the uses should probably be attributed to ''Cassia fikifiki''. Water or palm-wine extracts of the stem bark and roots of ''Cassia fikifiki'' are drunk to treat river blindness (onchocerciasis). A decoction of the bark is used for washing leprosy patients and dry powdered bark is sprinkled on wounds to promote healing. The dried bark dissolved in palm wine is taken to cure stomach-ache. To treat dizziness ash of burned pods is mixed with water and applied to the eyelids. The bark contains chrysophanol, aloe-emodin, physcion and rhein. The alcoholic extract of the bark showed significant microfilaricidal activity in vitro. ''Cassia aubrevillei'' and ''Cassia fikifiki'' are included in the IUCN Red List of endangered species as vulnerable and endangered, respectively.

== Ecology ==

== Author(s) ==

== Correct citation of this article ==

[[fr:{{PAGENAME}}]]