Golden Shower Tree

Description:

It's a plant light-sensitive: at sunset closes the leaves and flowers, and then open them again when the sun rises. Its leaves are similar to the Robinia Pseudoacacia, with delicate yellow flowers, but it's a bush, not a tree. It's a popular ornamental plant and is an herbal medicine.

Habitat:

The species is native to the Indian Subcontinent and adjacent regions of Southeast Asia. It ranges from southern Pakistan eastward throughout India to Myanmar and Thailand and south to Sri Lanka. It is closely associated with the Mullai region of Sangam landscape. It is the national tree of Thailand, and its flower is Thailand's national flower. It is also state flower of Kerala in India and of immense importance amongst Malayali population.

Notes:

In Ayurvedic medicine, golden shower tree is known as aragvadha, meaning "disease killer". The root is considered a purgative,[5][6] and self-medication or any use without medical supervision is strongly advised against in Ayurvedic texts. Though its use in herbalism has been attested to for millennia, there has been rather little research in modern times. The purgative action is probably due to abundant 1,8-dihydroxyanthraquinone and derivatives thereof.[citation needed] Many Fabaceae are a source of potent entheogens and other psychoactive compounds such as tryptamines;[citation needed] such plants are rarely found among the Caesalpinioideae.