AGATHI (Sesbania grandiflora) ( അകത്തി )

COMMON NAME:-  AGATHI

OTHER NAMES:    

                       Gaach-munga

                  Agasti

                  Agase

                  Agastee

                  Avisi

                  Heta

                  Kembang turi

                  Pka angkea dey

                                          Kathuru Murunga                                           

BOTANIC NAME: -   Sesbania grandiflora 

FAMILY: Fabaceae

HABIT : Soft wooded, small tree.

                 Sesbania grandiflora is a small erect, fast-growing, and sparsely branched tree that reaches 10 m in height.

 This plant has pinnately compound leaves in which each leaf is divided into multiple leaflets.

 Agati leaves can be up to 30 cm long with 5-15 paired leaflets that are oblong to elliptic in shape and about 3 cm in length.

 The flowers are large (7–9 cm long) and are borne on an unbranched.The flower bud is sickle shaped, red or white in colour.   

 The flowers are similar in shape and arrangement to Pea flowers with five petals that are differentiated into a standard. The fruit is a thin pod which can be up to 60 cm long and contains from 15-50 seeds.

  

                       

MEDICINAL VALUE:-      

Agathi is  one of the richest natural sources of vitamin A.

It is used as a medicine for  rheumatism, fever, arthritis, scabies and night blindness.

Leaves, flowers, tender fruits, roots and barks are used in medicines. 

Folkloric:

Juice of the leaves used for cough,nasal catarrh and headaches.

For better vision.

For healing wounds.

Bark is used as astringent (used to contract the tissuesand stop bleeding or secretion) 

  

FOOD VALUE:-

The flowers, young leaves and tender pods of the white flowered Agati  are edible .

They are prepared by blanching in boiling water for less than a minute or may be dipped in batter and fried in butter. The flowers are eaten as vegetables alone or mixed into curries or salads.

METHOD OF CULTIVATION:-

Seeds are used for planting.

LOCAL NAMES: AGASTHI (Malayalam),

HUMMING BIRD TREE, SCARLET WISTERIA,SWAMP PEA (English),

AGASTI, HATHYA, MUNIDRUMAM (Sanskrit) 

BASNA , GAACH MUNGA (Hindi),

 AKATHI (Tamil), 

AGASE (Tamil), 

AVISI (Telugu).