Senna sophera is a shrub

Shrub

A shrub or bush is distinguished from a tree by its multiple stems and shorter height, usually under 5–6 m tall. A large number of plants may become either shrubs or trees, depending on the growing conditions they experience...

, glabrous, about 3 m. in height. The compound leaves with 8-12 paired leaflets acute and tapering; bear rachies with single gland at the base. It has yellow flowers in carymbose racemes.

The common name of Senna sophera is Kasunda, Baner. It was formerly called Cassia sophera in English

English language

English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...

. It is known as Kasaundi in Hindi, and Kolkasunda (কল্কাসুন্দা) in Bengali

Bengali language

Bengali or Bangla is an eastern Indo-Aryan language. It is native to the region of eastern South Asia known as Bengal, which comprises present day Bangladesh, the Indian state of West Bengal, and parts of the Indian states of Tripura and Assam. It is written with the Bengali script...

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Possibly originating in India

India

India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...

, today the plant is found in most tropical countries. It is common waste lands, on roadsides and in the forests. Root bark in used for preparation of the medicine

Medicine

Medicine is the science and art of healing. It encompasses a variety of health care practices evolved to maintain and restore health by the prevention and treatment of illness....

. It has been used by ancient Indian physicians for its efficacy in respiratory disorders.