Dadmurdan / Candle Cassia
Senna alata
Also known as Candle Bush, Carrion Crow Bush, Candlesticks, Empress Candle Plant, Ringworm Cassia, Winged Senna
- Habit
- Shrub
- Found in India
- Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra & more
- Flowering
- September-February
Plant Details
- Scientific name
- Senna alata
- Genus
- Senna
- Family
- Caesalpiniaceae
- Habit
- Shrub
- Habitat
- Along riversides and margin of ponds and also planted in gardens
- Habitat type
- Wetland, Cultivated
- Native to
- South America
- Distribution
- Pantropical
- Found in India
- Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Goa, Karnataka
- Flowering & fruiting
- September-February
- Conservation status
- Not Evaluated (NE)
Leaf characters
- Arrangement
- Alternate
Typical of the Caesalpiniaceae family — a field-mark hint, not measured for this exact species.
Flower & fruit characters
Typical of the Caesalpiniaceae family — flowering plants only; individual species can differ.
Local Names
- Hindi
- दादमुर्दन Dadmurdan, दादमारी Dadmari,पीताम्बर pitambar
- Bengali
- দাদমর্দন
- Tamil
- Seemaiagathi, சீமையகத்தி
- Telugu
- సీమ తంగేడు
- Kannada
- daddumardu, dahvala, dhavala gida
- Malayalam
- Simayakatti, Puzhukkadikonna, Malamthakara
- Sinhala
- ඇත් තෝර
Dadmurdan in India
This shrub, known as दादमुर्दन Dadmurdan (Hindi), Seemaiagathi (Tamil), సీమ తంగేడు (Telugu), daddumardu (Kannada), Simayakatti (Malayalam), দাদমর্দন (Bengali), is grown both as an ornamental and for its traditional use. Senna alata is found across Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Goa, Karnataka, often along roadsides and in gardens.
Uses
It's planted for its striking upright spikes of yellow flowers, and its leaves have a history of traditional external folk use for skin conditions in some regions — an attributed traditional use, not a medical claim.
How to Identify Dadmurdan
A large shrub with long compound leaves made of broad, paired leaflets that fold together at night. Flowers are bright yellow, densely packed into upright, candle-like spikes at the branch tips, followed by long, four-winged pods.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is Candle Cassia called in different Indian languages?
- दादमुर्दन Dadmurdan (Hindi); Seemaiagathi (Tamil); సీమ తంగేడు (Telugu); daddumardu (Kannada); Simayakatti (Malayalam); দাদমর্দন (Bengali).
- Why is it called 'candle bush'?
- Its dense, upright spikes of yellow flowers, tightly packed like a wick before opening, resemble a row of candles.
- Do the leaves really fold at night?
- Yes — like many legumes, its paired leaflets fold together in darkness and reopen in daylight, a movement called nyctinasty.
Caesalpiniaceae
Senna family
Dadmurdan belongs to the Caesalpiniaceae family.
The illustration represents the family — not necessarily this exact species.
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Common plant problems
All plant problem & care guides →More in Caesalpiniaceae
View all Caesalpiniaceae →Sources: GBIF — Senna alata (India distribution & vernacular names) (CC BY 4.0) · Wikipedia — Senna alata (background/comprehension only) (CC BY-SA 4.0)