Senna tora (L.) Roxb.

Herbs, suffrutescent, annual, erect, 1-2 m tall. Leaves 4-8 cm; stipules caducous, linear, 10-15 mm; petiole without glands; rachis with a club-shaped gland between leaflets; petio­lules 1.5-2 mm; leaflets 3 pairs, obovate or obovate-oblong, 2-6 × 1.5-2.5 cm, membranous, abaxially pubescent, adaxially sparsely pubescent, base cuneate to rounded and oblique, apex rounded, cuspidate. Racemes axillary, short, 1-or 2(or 3)-flow­ered; peduncles 6-10 mm; bracts linear, acute. Pedicels 1-1.5 cm. Sepals ovate or ovate-oblong, 5-8 mm, membranous, out­side pubescent. Petals yellow, unequal, obovate, lower 2 slightly longer, 12-15 × 5-7 mm, shortly clawed. Fertile sta­mens 7, nearly equal, filaments 1.5-2 mm, anthers opening by apical pores, ca. 4 mm, 3 larger, 4 smaller, staminodes absent. Ovary sessile, densely white pubescent; style glabrous. Legume terete, subtetragonous, slender, 10-15 × 0.3-0.5 cm, both ends acuminate, valves membranous. Seeds 20-30, glossy, rhom­boid, ca. 5 × 3 mm, with an areole. 2n = 26*, 28*, 56*.

A tropical plant. It often grows on the edges of mangrove and coconut plantations. Plants grow near sea level in the tropics. In Nepal it grows to about 1400 m altitude. It grows in rich soil and near river banks. It grows in wetlands. It Indonesia it grows up to 1,000 m above sea level. In tropical Queensland it grows from sea level to 300 m altitude. It can grow in arid places.

The ripe seeds are roasted and ground and used for coffee. The seeds, roasted or cooked in the pod are eaten with rice. The young pods are cooked as a vegetable. The young leaves are cooked and eaten as a vegetable. They are chopped small before cooking. They are often cooked with pork or fish. The harvested leaves can be stored for 4-5 days. The flowers are also cooked and eaten. The young stems are cooked in curry. The seeds are used in the preparation of sweets.

Plants are grown by seeds.