It is known by many common names, including danchi, dunchi, dhaincha, canicha, prickly sesban, jantar or spiny sesbania.

It sends out fibrous, pithy stems with long leaves and bears purple-spotted yellow flowers.

It is cultivated widely in India and it is grown in rice paddies in Vietnam for use as firewood.

The plant has a great number of uses, including as green manure, rice straw, wood and fodder.

They are much smaller than the more popular white flowers of Sesbania grandiflora, but similar in shape.