Senna sophera is a shrub or tree in the bean family Fabaceae. It is now widespread in tropical and subtropical regions of the world, but is believed to be native to tropical America. Originally described by Carl Linnaeus in 1753 as Cassia sophera, it has acquired a large number of synonyms.[1]Vernacular names include algarrobilla,[2]baner, kasunda, kasaundi (Hindi) and kolkasunda (Bengali).[citation needed]. This tree is called Gnazhar tree (ஞாழல் மரம்) in Tamil. The flower of this tree has been extensively referred in poems of Sangam Tamil litterature.
Description
Senna sophera is a shrub or small tree, glabrous, about 3 m in height. The compound leaves have 8-12 paired leaflets that are acute and tapering. It has yellow flowers in corymboseracemes.[citation needed]
Senna socotrana was assessed as "least concern" for the 2004 IUCN Red List, where it is said to be native only to Socotra.[3] As of April 2023[update], S. socotrana was regarded as a synonym of Senna sophera, which has a very much wider distribution.[1]