Climbing, prickly shrub or tree. Branches with brown smooth stripes, thorny, the thorns short, broad-based, flattened. Leaves with caducous stipules not thorn-like; petiole 1-1.5 cm long with prominent gland about the middle; blade bipinnate, with 5-7 pairs of pinae, the primary rachis thorny, pubescent, the pinnae with 12-18 pairs of pinnae; pinnae oblong-lanceolate, 3-10 mm long, accrescent, acute and apiculate at apex, obliquely rounded at base, entire, glabrous. Inflorescences of 2 or 3 peduncled head in axils of upper reduced leaves, appearing paniculate; peduncles 1-2.5 cm long, pubescent; heads about 1 cm in diameter when mature. Flowers pink, without or with reduced subtending bracts; ovary stipitate, glabrous. Pods thick, somewhat flattened, stalked, 8 cm long, 15-18 mm wide.

Emetic; laxative and antibilious (pod decoction); diuretic (aerial part); hemolytic; alleviates spasms and spermicidal (bark); antimalarial (leaf); spermicidal activity; expectorant; aperient.

PIER
Shikakai

Acacinins and oligosaccharides (pod); a saponin, hexacosanol, lupeol and a-spinasterone (bark)

Used in alleviating pain during childbirth (seed); in biliousness (pod decoction); in skin diseases and dandruff (pod); promotes hair growth (pods) and as a mild laxative.

Banerji and Nigam, J Indian chem Soc., 1980, 57, 1043.