Cassia absus

The plant is erect or much-branched annual or short-lived perennial.1 to 1.2 m high, sticky on account of glandular-based setae in the indumentum. Leaves, apart from glandular hairs, with only a scale-like scarcely glandular structure between each of the 2 pairs of leaflets; leaflets obliquely elliptic or obovate.

Racemes 1,13 cm long, with few to numerous small flowe Sepals obtuse. Petals yellow to red or occasionally white. Stamens 5, subequal. Pods linear-oblong, flat. Seeds brown to black, glossy, ovate or compressed. Seeds contain alkaloids which have powerful actions on the nervous and vascular systems and are used accordingly for a variety of purposes in folk medicine.