Senegalia catechu

Life-forms

Classification System: APG IV

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Regnum: Plantae
Cladus: Angiosperms
Cladus: Eudicots
Cladus: Core eudicots
Cladus: Rosids
Cladus: Eurosids I
Ordo: Fabales

Familia: Fabaceae
Subfamilia: Caesalpinioideae
Tribus: Acacieae
Genus: Senegalia
Species: Senegalia catechu
Name

Senegalia catechu (L.f.) P.J.H.Hurter & Mabb. Pl.-Book (ed. 3) 1021. (2008)
Synonyms

Basionym
Mimosa catechu L.f. (1782 [dated '1781'])
Homotypic
Acacia catechu (L.f.) Willd. (1806)
Acacia catechu var. wallichiana (DC.) P.C.Huang (1985)
Acacia catechuoides (Roxb.) Benth. (1842)
Heterotypic
Acacia catechu (L.f.) Willd. var. catechu (1985)
Acacia catechu (L.f.) Willd. f. catechu
Acacia wallichiana DC. (1825)
Mimosa catechuoides Roxb. (1832)
Acacia catechu var. catechuoides (Roxb.) Prain (1898)
Acacia catechu f. catechuoides (Roxb.) Prain ex I.C. Nielsen (1985)
Acacia catechu var. genuina Kurz (1877 [dated 1876]) [nom. illeg. (superfluous)]

Distribution
Native distribution areas:
Senegalia catechu

Continental: Asia
Regional: Southern Asia
Assam, Bangladesh, China South-Central, East Himalaya, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Thailand, West Himalaya
Introduced into:
China Southeast, Jawa, Northern Territory

References: Brummitt, R.K. 2001. TDWG – World Geographical Scheme for Recording Plant Distributions, 2nd Edition
References
Primary references

Hurter, P.J.H. & Mabberley, D.J. 2008. Mabberley's Plant-Book: A Portable Dictionary of Plants, Their Classification and Uses 1021.

Links

Govaerts, R. et al. 2020. Senegalia catechu in Kew Science Plants of the World online. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the internet. Accessed: 2020 Aug 19. Reference page.
International Plant Names Index. 2019. Senegalia catechu. Published online. Accessed: Aug 19 2019.
Tropicos.org 2019. Senegalia catechu. Missouri Botanical Garden. Published on the internet. Accessed: 2019 Aug 19.
Hassler, M. 2020. Senegalia catechu. World Plants: Synonymic Checklists of the Vascular Plants of the World In: Roskovh, Y., Abucay, L., Orrell, T., Nicolson, D., Bailly, N., Kirk, P., Bourgoin, T., DeWalt, R.E., Decock, W., De Wever, A., Nieukerken, E. van, Zarucchi, J. & Penev, L., eds. 2020. Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of Life. Published on the internet. Accessed: 2020 Aug 19. Reference page.
Senegalia catechu – Taxon details on World Wide Wattle.

Vernacular names
català: Arbre del catxú
Deutsch: Gerber-Akazie
English: black cutch
eesti: Katehhu-akaatsia
suomi: Rohtoakaasia
français: Acacia à cachou
മലയാളം: കരിങ്ങാലി
polski: Akacja katechu
русский: Акация катеху
Tiếng Việt: Keo cao
中文: 儿茶

Senegalia catechu is a deciduous, thorny tree which grows up to 15 m (50 ft) in height.[3] The plant is called khair [4] in Hindi, and kachu in Malay, hence the name was Latinized to "catechu" in Linnaean taxonomy, as the type-species from which the extracts cutch and catechu are derived.[5] Common names for it include kher,[6] catechu, cachou, cutchtree, black cutch, and black catechu.

Senegalia catechu is found in parts of South Asia and Southeast Asia, including Cambodia, India, Myanmar, Thailand and, Indonesia[2]
Pollens of Senegalia catechu

Through derivatives of the flavanols in its extracts, the species has lent its name to the important catechins, catechols and catecholamines of chemistry and biology.

Uses
Food
Senegalia catechu flowers

The tree's seeds are a good source of protein.[7] Kattha (catechu), an extract of its heartwood, is used as an ingredient to give red color and typical flavor to paan. Paan is an Indian and Southeast Asian tradition of chewing betel leaf (Piper betle) with areca nut and slaked lime paste.
Fodder

Branches of the tree are quite often cut for goat fodder and are sometimes fed to cattle.[2][7][8]
Folk medicine

The heartwood, bark, and wood extract (called catechu) are used in traditional medicine.[3][9] The concentrated aqueous extract, known as khayer gum or cutch, is astringent.[10]
Wood
Senegalia catechu trunks

The tree is often planted for use as firewood and charcoal and its wood is highly valued for furniture and tools.[3] The wood has a density of about 0.88 g/cm3.[11]
Other uses

Its heartwood extract is used in dyeing and leather tanning, as a preservative for fishing nets, and as a viscosity regulator for oil drilling.[3] Its flowers are a good source of nectar and pollen for bees.
Cultivation
Senegalia catechu pods

The tree can be propagated by planting its seeds, which are soaked in hot water first. After about six months in a nursery, the seedlings can be planted in the field.[3]

See also

Arid Forest Research Institute
Catechu
Catechin
Pyrocatechol

References

hear.org
International Legume Database & Information Service (ILDIS)
www.fao.org
www.haryana-online.com Archived 2011-02-03 at the Wayback Machine
http://www.yourdictionary.com/catechu Derivation of word from Malay
Ujwala, T. K.; Tomy, Shawn; Celine, Sandra; Chander, J. Sam Johnson Udaya (2015). "A Systematic Review of Some Potential Anti-Diabetic Herbs Used in India Characterized by Its Hypoglycemic Activity". International Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research. 6 (12): 4940–4957. ProQuest 1747402306.
World AgroForestry Database
Heuzé V., Tran G., Hassoun P., Lebas F., 2018. Black cutch (Senegalia catechu). Feedipedia, a programme by INRA, CIRAD, AFZ and FAO. https://www.feedipedia.org/node/354 Last updated on February 9, 2018, 13:20
"Plant Details". envis.frlht.org. Retrieved 2014-10-04.
British Pharmacopoeia, Department of Health, British Pharmacopoeia Commission, London. The Stationery Office, (1999)
FAO Appendix 1