Sensitive Smithia (Smithia sensitiva)

October 11, 2007 — Vasant M. Salian

Sensitive Smithia (Smithia sensitiva) is a low-growing annual herb, 30-90 cm, common along the roads. It appears at waning of the monsoons. Compound leaves are slightly sensitive to touch. There are 3-10 pairs of oblong leaflets, each 6-12 mm long. Yellow pea-like flowers occur in racemes of 2-6, arising from leaf axils. Flowers are 1.3 cm long. Pods are flat, 1 cm long. Flowers are eaten by the red black spotted blister beetles. Leaves and pods are cooked and eaten. It flowers during August-October period.

The herb is boiled and given for gravel and difficulty in micturition. Leaves are refigerant, stimulate flow of milk in mothers. Leaves juice is used as lotion in headaches.

Sensitive smithiaTaxonomy:

Kingdom : Plantae
Division : Magnoliophyta
Class : Magnoliopsida
Order : Fabales
Family : Fabaceae
Subfamily : Faboideae
Genus : Smithia
Species : Smithia sensitiva

Pronunciation/Meaning:

  • Smithia (SMITH-ee-uh) - Named after the British botanist and physician Sir James Edward Smith (1759-1828).
  • sensitiva (SEN-see-TEE-vuh) - Sensitive.

Common Names:

  • Sensitive Smithia (English)
  • Odabirni (Hindi)
  • Lajalu kavla (Marathi)
  • Nalakashina (Bengali)

Links:

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