Agati sesbania is also known as August flower, Australian corkwood tree, Flamingo bill, Hummingbird tree, Vegetable hummingbird, Grandiflora, Sesban, Swamp pea, Tiger tongue, West Indian pea and white dragon tree. It is called Agasti, Bak, Basma, Basna, Chogache, Hatiya, Gaach Munga in Hindi, Agati, Agusta, Bagphal, Bak, Bake in Bengali, Heta in Marathi, Houwaimal in Manipuri, Agathio in Gujarati, Sevvagatti, Muni, Akatthi and peragathi in Tamil, Agase and agastya in Kannada, Akaththi in Malayalam, Ettagise, Sukanasamu, Avisi and agise in Telugu, Agst in Urdu, Varnari, Munipriya, Agasthi, Agastya, Munitaru, Vangasenaka ,Drigapalaka in Sanskrit. In Oriya we call it Agasti.
Its botanical name is Sesbania grandiflora. The generic name is derived from an Arab word for one of the species, S. sesban. The specific epithet means large-flowered in Latin.
Agasti or August flower is a small, fast-growing, sparsely branched, soft wooded tree that grows up to 9 meters in height. The plant is short living and quick growing in nature. The leaves are regular, pinnately compound and rounded, 20 to 30 centimeters long, with 20 to 40 pairs of leaflets which are 2.5 to 3.5 centimeters long. Flowers are long with beautiful, fleshy, white,yellowish, rose pink or red petals up to 10 cm in diameter. The fruits look like flat, long and thin green beans. Pods are linear, flat or 4 cornered, 20-60 centimeters long, 7 to 8 millimeters wide, pendulous and somewhat curved, containing many seeds. It has an outstanding ability to tolerate waterlogging and is ideally suited to seasonally flooded environments. When flooded, it initiates floating, adventitious roots, and protects their stems. S. grandiflora is easily propagated by direct seeding. It can be grown from cuttings for cultivation.
It has great medicinal value as mentioned in ayurveda. All parts of Sesbania grandiflora are utilized for medicine in Southeastern Asia and India including preparations derived from the roots, bark, gum, leaves, flowers, and fruit.
The plant is astringent, febrifuge, vermifuge, antidote, aperient, diuretic, emetic, cardio protective, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, anti-ulcer, laxative and tonic. Its Bark is very astringent, Flowers are emollient and laxative, and leaves are aperient, diuretic, laxative. The leaf juice is antioxidant. It has properties which cures rheumatism, liver disorders, fever, arthritis, scabies and night blindness. It is one of the richest natural sources of vitamin A. It has several other medicinal uses, e.g. for treating catarrh, headache and epilepsy. An ingredient which is Cancer inhibitor is found in its seed; it shows antitumor activity. Juice of the root, mixed with honey is used as an expectorant. Juice is extracted from the roots, mixed with honey is used as an expectorant for colds and catarrh. The solution formed by boiling the bark in water is given as a remedy for fever, diarrhea, dysentery and small pox. A paste is made from the roots of the red flowered Sesbania grandiflora and is given as remedy for rheumatism. Decoction of the bark used for hemoptysis. Infusion of the bark is given to treat smallpox and other eruptive fevers, diarrhea and dysentery. Juice of flowers is taken as snuff to clear the sinuses. The Poultice of its leaves is applied to heal bruises. Decoction of bark used as vomitive. The fruits are used to treat anemia, bronchitis, fever, turmors; flowers for gout, bronchits, nyctalopia. The leaf juice can remove the intestinal worm. A tea made from the leaves is believed to have antibiotic, anthelmintic, antitumour and contraceptive properties. The bark is considered as a tonic and an antipyretic, a remedy for gastric troubles, colic with diarrhoea and dysentery. A bark decoction is taken orally to treat fever and diabetes. Juice of flowers put in the eyes is said to relieve dimness of vision. The leaves also have medicinal value and are reported to cure night blindness in cattle. In India, all plant parts are reputed to cure night blindness. The root is a well-known medicine for malaria. The principal medicinal effects are due to the tree’s astringency; hence it is used against inflammation, venom and other poisons, bacterial infections and tumors. g. For systemic disorders, decoctions are taken internally. Root resin, mixed with honey, is taken orally for phlegm. For women’s health issues such as white discharge or vaginal discharge accompanied with odour, these leaves are proven to be a great cure option. The bark decoction is used for treating diabetes. Sesbania Grandiflora' flowers have a special ability to improve vision. The juice of the flower is squeezed into eyes to eliminate dullness in vision. The leaves also have medical benefits to treat night blindness. Similarly, the roots are used as medical component in curing malaria. Juice or extract made out of the roots are applied itching and swelling problems. When this is consumed internally, system disorders are cured. For phlegm or cough the root resin mixed with honey and one teaspoonful of this mixture is taken.
One important caution to be remembered is that this plant should not be used during the course of any other medication without consulting an ayurvedic doctor because the current medicine might render it almost ineffective. All the medicinal value and usage of these herbs are for informational purpose only. No treatment should be made for any illness without consulting a regd. Medical/ayurvedic doctor.
The flowers, young leaves and tender pods of the white flowered Agasti are edible. Young pods are eaten like string beans. Flowers are an excellent source of calcium, fair source of iron and very good source of vitamin B. It typically produces a soft wood, however, the density of the wood increases with age and the timber from 5-8 year old trees is used in house construction or as craft wood. The wood is of low quality. The tree has potential uses as pulp fibre, firewood, animal fodder or green manure and landscape decoration. It also has potential for reforesting eroded land and grassy wastelands. It’s excellent forage for growing goats.
Here in my state i.e. Orissa during the pious month of Kartik (which is November), the old women especially widows observe their habisha or fasting and worship Lord Vishnu in the form of Lord Jagannath. During Habisha they observe great penance, they don’t use oil, don’t take any non-veg food, or garlic, onion or spicy curry. They eat sunned (arua) rice, moong or masoor dal. Only limited and particular vegetables are allowed to take, like plantain, yam, and arum. The dalma or dal with these vegetables is cooked without oil or spice. Only a little bit of ghee is allowed. During this period of penance and austerity they cook and eat the leaves of Agasti as a leafy vegetable or saag. Most probably because of its good iron content it has been introduced traditionally as a good nutrition supplement.
All parts of this unique plant are useful. It’s an extremely useful tree. But I know no tree which is not useful :).
