| Vigna vexillata | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Vigna vexillata flower | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Fabales |
| Family: | Fabaceae |
| Subfamily: | Faboideae |
| Genus: | Vigna |
| Species: | V. vexillata |
| Binomial name | |
| Vigna vexillata (L.) A. Rich | |
| Synonyms [1] | |
| |
Vigna vexillata, the Zombi pea or wild cowpea, is a variable, perennial climbing plant that is pantropical, found in regions such as Ethiopia, Nigeria, and Venezuela.
Vigna vexillata is a strong twiner with fusiform, tuberous roots. Its stems are usually clothed with brownish silky hairs, or trichomes.. Its leaflets come in three, which are oval-shaped and pointed at the tip, with the terminal leaflet being 7.5–15 cm (3.0–5.9 in) long. The leaflets are all a dark green and with appressed trichomes on both surfaces. The flowers are pink or purplish to yellow and 2.5 cm (0.98 in) long, on two- to four-flowered peduncles 7.5–30 cm (3.0–11.8 in) long, with the keel prolonged into an uncurved beak. The flowers are sweetly scented. [1] The pod is recurved, linear, 7.5–9 cm (3.0–3.5 in) long, and silky. [2]
The stems tend to scramble over the ground and twine into the surrounding vegetation. [3] It has good seedling vigor and good wet-season growth, and is effective in weed suppression. The seed shatters and it is not a good standover feed for the dry season. It is susceptible to both frost and fire. Although hairy, the plant is quite palatable. [4]
Vigna vexillata thrives in a wide range of conditions, mostly in grasslands and in disturbed areas, as well as a weed. [4]
In India, the plant flourishes from 1,200–1,500 m (3,900–4,900 ft) in altitude in the foothills of the Himalayas and in the hills of eastern and north-eastern India. [4]
In Australia, it grows in the north where monsoons with 1,250–1,500 mm (49–59 in) of rainfall and a long dry season are common, growing on acidic soils rich in aluminum. [4]
The plant is a very important food crop in several areas, such as Namibia, where it is commonly harvested from the wild for local use. Its use has spread beyond its native range and the plant is now sometimes cultivated for its edible tubers. It is also grown as a green manure and ground cover crop, especially in poor soils. [5]
The root is consumed raw or cooked. The tubers have a soft, easily peeled skin and creamy flesh. They are boiled or roasted and are particularly rich in protein. The young leaves, young pods, and seeds are also cooked and eaten as a vegetable. [6]
The radish is an edible root vegetable of the family Brassicaceae that was domesticated in Asia prior to Roman times.
The mung bean, alternatively known as the green gram, maash, moong, monggo, or munggo (Philippines), is a plant species in the legume family. The mung bean is mainly cultivated in East, Southeast and South Asia. It is used as an ingredient in both savoury and sweet dishes.
Vigna mungo, the black gram, urad bean, mash kalai, uzhunnu parippu, ulundu paruppu, minapa pappu, Uddu or black matpe is a bean grown in South Asia. Like its relative, the mung bean, it has been reclassified from the Phaseolus to the Vigna genus. The product sold as black lentil is usually the whole urad bean, whereas the split bean is called white lentil. It should not be confused with the much smaller true black lentil.
Vicia cracca, is a species of vetch native to Europe and Asia. It occurs on other continents as an introduced species, including North America, where it is a common weed. It often occurs in disturbed habitats, including old fields and roadside ditches.
Stachys affinis, commonly called crosne, Chinese artichoke, Japanese artichoke, knotroot, or artichoke betony, is a perennial herbaceous plant of the family Lamiaceae, originating from China. Its rhizome is a root vegetable that can be eaten raw, pickled, dried or cooked.
Vigna aconitifolia is a drought-resistant legume, commonly grown in arid and semi-arid regions of India. It is commonly called mat bean, moth bean, matki or dew bean. The pods, sprouts and protein-rich seeds of this crop are commonly consumed in India. Moth bean can be grown on many soil types, and can also act as a pasture legume.
Cyperus esculentus is a crop of the sedge family widespread across much of the world. It is found in most of the Eastern Hemisphere, including Southern Europe, Africa and Madagascar, as well as the Middle East and the Indian subcontinent. C. esculentus is cultivated for its edible tubers, called earth almonds or tiger nuts, as a snack food and for the preparation of horchata de chufa, a sweet, milk-like beverage.
Lathyrus tuberosus is a small, climbing perennial plant, native in moist temperate parts of Europe and Western Asia. The plant is a trailer or weak climber, supported by tendrils, growing to 1.2 m tall. The leaves are pinnate, with two leaflets and a branched twining tendril at the apex of the petiole. Its flowers are hermaphroditic, pollinated by bees. The plants can also spread vegetatively from the root system.
Cardamine hirsuta, commonly called hairy bittercress, is an annual or biennial species of plant in the family Brassicaceae, and is edible as a salad green. It is common in moist areas around the world.
Medicago lupulina, commonly known as black medick, nonesuch, or hop clover, is a plant of dry grassland belonging to the legume or clover family. Plants of the genus Medicago, or bur clovers, are closely related to the true clovers (Trifolium) and sweet clover (Melilotus). Like the true clovers, black medick has three leaflets and a small, yellow flower closely resembling those of lesser trefoil. Black medick belongs to the same genus as alfalfa.
Calopogonium is a genus of flowering plants in the legume family, Fabaceae. It belongs to the subfamily Faboideae. Calopogunium mucunoides is a vine that was introduced into Australia as a pasture legume. It has become naturalized in disturbed sites, waste areas and crops along roadsides and waterways and on the edges of rainforests in the wetter tropical regions of Northern Australia. It is most common in the Darwin region and in surrounding bush land and has also become a weed in Kakadu National Park. In these areas, populations are extending rapidly and it has been observed to form dense mats that smother native vegetarian.
Pachyrhizus ahipa, also called the ahipa or Andean yam bean, is a tuberous root-producing legume, which is mainly distributed in the Andean region.
Flemingia vestita famously known as Sohphlang is a nitrogen fixing herb with characteristic tuberous root, belonging to the genus Flemingia. The root is edible and is a common vegetable in some Asian tribal communities. In addition, it has been traditionally used as an anthelmintic, the basis of which is scientifically validated.
Vigna angularis, also known as the adzuki bean(Japanese: 小豆, azuki, Uncommon アヅキ, adzuki), azuki bean, aduki bean, red bean, or red mung bean, is an annual vine widely cultivated throughout East Asia for its small bean. The cultivars most familiar in East Asia have a uniform red color, but there are also white, black, gray, and variously mottled varieties.
Vigna luteola, commonly known as the hairy cowpea, is a perennial vine found in many tropical areas.
Vigna trilobata, the African gram, three-lobe-leaf cowpea or jungle mat bean, is a regenerating annual herb found in India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Burma, Afghanistan and the Malay archipelago.
Vigna hosei, also known as the sarowak bean, is a perennial legume that grows in low-lying, humid, tropical areas but more commonly disturbed or roadside areas.
Vigna parkeri, the creeping vigna or vigna menjalar, is a climbing or prostrate perennial vine that grows in subtropical areas such as Kenya, Indonesia, and Madagascar.
Vigna dalzelliana is a perennial herb with yellow flowers that commonly is used as fodder. The plant is poorly understood and was previously confused with its relative Vigna minima.
Macroptilium lathyroides is a species of plant in the legume family (Fabaceae) commonly known as the phasey bean. It is the type species of genus Macroptilium. Herbaceous annual or short-lived perennial growing up to 1 m high, it is native to the tropical and subtropical areas of Central and South America, and naturalized throughout the tropics. It is cultivated for forage or as a green manure or cover crop in rotation. As it quickly spreads on disturbed soils, it is considered an environmental weed in some areas.