Cassia tora L.

Strong herb or sub-shrub, 1 m tall, of vague origin but probably from South America, naturalized in all the tropical regions of the world. It is met along the roads, and on waste lands. The green seeds give eye drops for the eyes; the ripe, roasted and ground seeds, can be used as surrogate of coffee or tea. They would constitute also a good mordant fo blue dye. The decoctions of young leaves and branches would be purgative and tonic, often used also to treat cutaneous diseases.