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
How to identify Dadmurdan
Identify Dadmurdan by combining habit, leaf characters, flower or fruit details, location, and its family pattern. Do not rely on one feature alone.
- Look for a shrub habit.
- Check the distinctive field mark: Tall candle-like upright flower spikes.
- Confirm leaf type: Pinnately compound (leaflets in rows along a stalk).
- Confirm flower colour: Yellow.
- Confirm fruit type: Legume.
- In season, compare flowering and fruiting time: September-February.
- In India, compare location records such as Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, West Bengal and nearby regions.
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, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Assam, Gujarat, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Puducherry, Bihar, Telangana, Arunachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Delhi, Tripura, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Meghalaya, Uttarakhand
- Flowering & fruiting
- September-February
- 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 Dadmurdan itself; the rest are typical of the Caesalpiniaceae family.
Flower & fruit characters
- Flower colour
- Yellowrecorded
- Fruit type
- LegumerecordedA dry pod that splits open along two seams (typical of the pea/bean family).“The fruit, shaped like a straight pod, is up to 25 cm long.” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
Typical of the family
- Flower symmetry
- Zygomorphic (bilaterally symmetrical)
- Inflorescence
- Raceme
- Fruit
- Legume
Characters marked “recorded” are for Dadmurdan itself; the rest are typical of the Caesalpiniaceae family — flowering plants only.
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
If you are starting from symptoms instead of a diagnosis, use the plant disease symptom checker to narrow the cause before treating.
All plant problem & care guidesMore in Caesalpiniaceae
View all CaesalpiniaceaeSources: GBIF — Senna alata (India distribution & vernacular names) (CC BY 4.0) · Wikipedia — Senna alata (background/comprehension only) (CC BY-SA 4.0)