Khadira Powder (Acacia Catechu)

Khadira (Acacia catechu)

AYURVEDIC NAME: Khadira
BOTANICALLY: Acacia catechu
KNOWN AS: Cutch tree (English)
OTHER NAMES: Cutch tree (English), Khair (Hindi), Kachu (Kannada), Karinnali (Malayalam), Karunkali (Tamil), Podalimanu (Telugu)

CONCISE DESCRIPTION OF THE TREE: A deciduous tree of moderate size, 9-12 m in height with dark greyish or brown rough bark and hooked short spines. Leaves – compound, leaflets in 30-50 pairs, main rachis pubescent with large gland near the middle of the rachis. Flowers – pale yellow, sessile in peduncled spikes. Fruits – flat brown pods, shiny and with a triangular beak at the base. Seeds – 3-10 per pod.
Geographically where it grows: Grows on the Eastern slopes of Western Ghats, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Punjab, and the Himalayas up to 1,500 m
Useful part: Bark, heartwood, Resign
Harvesting time: November - January

ORGANOLEPTIC IDENTIFICATION:
TASTE: Bitter, Astringent
QUALITY: Light, dry
POTENCY: Cold
POST-DIGESTIVE EFFECT: Pungent