Sarmal / Dwarf Senna
Chamaecrista pumila
- Habit
- Herb
- Found in India
- Uttarakhand, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh & more
- Flowering
- August-November
How to identify Sarmal
Identify Sarmal by combining habit, leaf characters, flower or fruit details, location, and its family pattern. Do not rely on one feature alone.
- Look for a herb habit.
- Check the distinctive field mark: Dwarf/prostrate habit.
- Confirm leaf type: Pinnately compound (leaflets in rows along a stalk).
- Confirm flower colour: Yellow.
- In season, compare flowering and fruiting time: August-November.
- In India, compare location records such as Uttarakhand, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and nearby regions.
- Confirm it sits within the Caesalpiniaceae family pattern, then compare close relatives before deciding it is Sarmal.
Plant Details
- Scientific name
- Chamaecrista pumila
- Genus
- Chamaecrista
- Family
- Caesalpiniaceae
- Habit
- Herb
- Habitat
- Dry deciduous forests and grasslands also on plains
- Distribution
- India, Pakistan, Tropical Africa, Australia
- Found in India
- Uttarakhand, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Telangana
- Flowering & fruiting
- August-November
- Conservation status
- Not Evaluated (NE)
Leaf characters
- Leaf type
- Pinnately compound (leaflets in rows along a stalk)recorded
Typical of the family
- Arrangement
- Alternate
Characters marked “recorded” are for Sarmal itself; the rest are typical of the Caesalpiniaceae family.
Flower & fruit characters
- Flower colour
- Yellowrecorded
Typical of the family
- Flower symmetry
- Zygomorphic (bilaterally symmetrical)
- Inflorescence
- Raceme
- Fruit
- Legume
Characters marked “recorded” are for Sarmal itself; the rest are typical of the Caesalpiniaceae family — flowering plants only.
Local Names
- Hindi
- सरमल Sarmal
- Kannada
- ನೆಲ ತಗಚೆ Nela tagache
- Marathi
- सरमळ Sarmal
About Sarmal
A member of the Caesalpiniaceae family, Dwarf Senna (Chamaecrista pumila) is a herb. In India it has been recorded in Uttarakhand, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and 2 other states. It grows in dry deciduous forests and grasslands also on plains. Flowering and fruiting run from August to November.
Caesalpiniaceae
Senna family
Sarmal belongs to the Caesalpiniaceae family.
The illustration represents the family — not necessarily this exact species.
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Common plant problems
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