Stinking Cassia, Sickle senna
Senna tora

Family: Fabaceae

What it is like

An erect, branched herb or shrub. It usually has a bad smell. It can be 0.3-2 m high. It has a sparse covering of small hairs. The stems do not have hairs. The leaves are compound and alternate. They are 5-6 cm long. The leaflets are in 3 pairs. They are oval and 2.5-5 cm long by 1.5-2.5 cm wide. They are broadly rounded at the top and can be wedge shaped at the base. The leaf stalk does not have a gland but the leaf axis has a gland between the lower two pairs of leaflets. The flowers are in the axils of leaves on branched stalks. The flower clusters are short and 2 flowered. There are 5 yellow petals. The petals are 8-10 mm long. The fruit are pods which are 4 angled. They are 10-15 cm long by 4-6 mm wide. They fall without splitting open to release their seeds. The seeds are dark brown and shiny. They are 5 mm long by 2.7 mm wide. The pit on the seed, covers much of the seed face.

There are 100 Cassia species. This group has been revised to a smaller more consistent group. Chemical composition: Moisture = 11.64%. Protein (N x 6.25) = 32.36%. Fat (ether extract) = 5.75%. Carbohydrate (soluble) = 5.56%. Ash = 4.84%. Iron = 1.43%. Phosphorus = 1.50%. Amino acids (u mole/100 mg.): a .Alanine = 17.0. Arginine = 12.0. Asparagine 25.1. Cysteine = 2.2. Glutamine = 36.1. Glycine = 19.7. Histidine = 7.9. Isoleucine = 8.8. Leucine = 17.2. Methionine = 0.2. Methionine sulphonide = - . Phenylalanine = 8.9. Proline = 10.0. Threonine = 10.4. Tyrosine = 5.0. Valine = 12.0. Unidentified = 1.6. Vernacular. Also as Caesalpinaceae.

Where it is found

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.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, American Samoa, Arabia, Asia, Australia, Bhutan, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Cameroon, Central Africa, Central America, China, East Africa, East Timor, Fiji, Gambia, Himalayas, India, Indochina, Indonesia, Korea, Laos, Madagascar, Malaysia, Maldives, Marquesas, Mauritius, Middle East, Myanmar, Nepal, Nicaragua, Northeastern India, Oman, Pacific, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Reunion, Rotuma, Samoa, Saudi Arabia, SE Asia, Senegal, Seychelles, Solomon Islands, South America, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Tanzania, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Tuvalu, Vietnam, West Africa

How it is used for food

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.

It is not known if they are used for food in Papua New Guinea.

Edible parts

Seeds, pods, leaves, vegetable, flowers

How it is grown

Plants are grown by seeds.

Its other names

Local names

Adi diga, Bab duli, Bapduli, Bokana, Chakauda, Chakoda, Chakonda, Chakor, Chakowar, Chakramandi, Chakunda, Chak-wad, Charota, Chekenda, Chekor sag, hinjudo, Chirota, Chum het lek, Chum het tai, Dadamari, Danghet chhieng, Dangywe, Dinghkri, Ecancule, Foetid cassia, Hadi diga, Hut, Jambanduro, Java-bean, Jhitkisak, Kaoal, Kasoda, Kasse, Kelbe, Ketepeng, Kovariya, Matkavai, Myay-pe-naw-nam, Ndur, Ngusat, Oosi thagarai, Pamaar, Panevar, Pawad, Peti-tora, Powada, Rahuri, Sano tapre, Sekto, Senavu, Sicklepod, Soru-medelua, Tafasa, Tagarai, Takala, Takla, Tankil, Tantemu, Tantepu kura, Tapre, Tarota, Tarvat, Tarvata, Thagarai, Thakara, Thakattasoppu, Thavara, Tora, Torthan, Turtha, Ulo, Vao pinati, Vaththiyara

Synonyms

Cassia tora L.;