Cassia Sophera

Common name: Sophera Senna • Hindi: कसौंडा Kasaunda, कसौंडी Kasaundi • Manipuri: থৌনম Thounam • Marathi: Kashawada • Tamil: Poonaverie • Telugu: Pydee tanghadu 
Botanical name: Senna sophera    Family: Caesalpiniaceae (Gulmohar family)
Synonyms: Cassia sophera, Cassia torosa

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Sophera Senna is an annual undershrub found throughout India and in most tropical countries. It is common in waste lands, on roadsides and in the forests. It grows up to 0.5-2 m high, soon becoming woody. The larger leaves are 7-18 cm long, usually with 6-8 pairs of leaflets, the largest blades are lancelike or ovate-acuminate and up to 7 x 2 cm. The 4-10-flowered racemes have yellow flowers with roundish petals. The pods are erect, cylindric or linear-ellipsoid, and usually 6-9.5 x 0.7-1 cm. In some parts of India, the leaves are eaten after boiling to remove disagreeable smell and flavor.