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
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.
| Photographed in Maraam, Manipur. |
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