Black-Eyed Pea
Vigna unguiculata unguiculata

Family: Fabaceae

What it is like

Vigna unguiculata subsp. unguiculata, or commonly known as Black-Eyed Pea, is a subspecies of cowpea often cultivated for its edible seeds. It is an annual climbing plant growing up to 4 m in length with straight firm pods. The leaves have three leaflets. Flowers which are white, yellow or blue and large occur often in pairs on the end of long flowering shoots. The seeds are white with a black/dark spot. Being a legume, it has a capability to fix atmospheric nitrogen and functions as a green manure. The seeds are cooked. Immature seeds are used as a vegetable while mature seeds are added to soups and stews or ground into a powder. The seeds can also be sprouted then eaten raw or cooked. Roasted seeds are grounded into a powder and used like coffee. Immature seedpods are eaten raw or cooked. Leaves are cooked like spinach. Crushed leaves are used in a poultice for broken bones.

Vigna unguiculata unguiculata is a ANNUAL CLIMBER growing to 4 m (13ft) by 0.2 m (0ft 8in) at a fast rate. See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 10. The flowers are pollinated by Insects. It can fix Nitrogen. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers dry or moist soil.

Height (m): 4

Where it is found

Not known

Original range is uncertain, perhaps tropical Africa.

Conservation Status: This taxon has not yet been assessed

Countries/locations it is found in

Afghanistan, Africa, Angola, Asia, Australia, Benin, Botswana, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Caribbean, Central Africa, Central America, Chad, China, Comoros, Congo, Côte d'Ivoire, Djibouti, Dominican Republic, East Africa, East Timor, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Fiji, French Guiana, Gambia, Ghana, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinée, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Hawaii, India, Indochina, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ivory Coast, Japan, Kenya, Korea, Laos, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Nepal, Niger, Nigeria, Niue, North America, Northeastern India, Pacific, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Philippines, Rwanda, Sao Tome & Principe, Saudi Arabia, SE Asia, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, Southern Africa, South America, South Sudan, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Taiwan, Tanzania, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Togo, Uganda, USA, Vietnam, West Africa, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe.

How it is used

Food

Rating: 4

Seed - cooked. They can be eaten whilst still green or allowed to dry. The immature seeds are used as a vegetable - they can be steamed, boiled, stir-fried etc. Mature seeds are added to soups and stews, ground into a powder and used with cereal flour for making cakes, bread etc, or fermented into dosa. The seeds can also be sprouted and then eaten raw or cooked in stir-fries etc. The roasted seed can be ground into a powder and used like coffee. Immature seedpods - raw or cooked. Leaves - cooked like spinach.

Seed: includes nuts, cereals, peas and beans.

Seedpod: things such as Okra, French and Runner beans.

Medicine

Rating: 2

The crushed leaves are used in a poultice to heal and bond broken bones.

Poultice: A moist, usually warm or hot, mass of plant material applied to the skin in the treatment of burns etc.

Other

Rating: 2

Agroforestry Uses: Grown as a green manure crop. Other Uses None known

Green manure: Fast-growing plants that can be used to increase the fertility of the soil.

Food Forest: Plants for Edible Forest Gardens and Food Forests.

Nitrogen Fixer: Plants that fix nitrogen in the soil

How it is grown

A plant of the lowland tropics, where it can also be cultivated at elevations up to 1,500 metres. It grows best in areas where annual daytime temperatures are within the range 20 - 35°c, but can tolerate 10 - 40°c. The plant cannot tolerate frost It prefers a mean annual rainfall in the range 600 - 1,500mm, but tolerates 400 - 4,100mm. Prefers a position in full sun, tolerating light shade. Succeeds in a wide variety of soils, from sandy loams to clays, so long as they are well-drained. Prefers a pH in the range 5.5 - 7.5, tolerating 4.3 - 8.8. Good yields have been obtained on peaty soils, but the plant dislikes alkaline soils since this reduces nodulation of bacteria on the roots and causes chlorosis of the leaves. Young seed pods can be harvested about 2 months after sowing, whilst mature seeds can be obtained in 3 - 5 months. Up to 6 tonnes per hectare of pods can be obtained per hectare, or 400 - 750kg of dried seed. There are many named varieties. Most cultivars are day-length neutral, though short-day forms are also known. This species has a symbiotic relationship with certain soil bacteria, these bacteria form nodules on the roots and fix atmospheric nitrogen. Some of this nitrogen is utilized by the growing plant but some can also be used by other plants growing nearby. When removing plant remains at the end of the growing season, it is best to only remove the aerial parts of the plant, leaving the roots in the ground to decay and release their nitrogen.

Propagating it: Seed - pre-soak for 12 hours in warm water and sow 1 - 3cm deep in situ. The seed germinates best when the soil temperature is above 21°c.

Best place to grow:

Habit: Annual Climber

Hardiness: 10-12

Growth: Fast

Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)

Shade: Semi-shade, no shade

Moisture: Dry, moist

Things to keep in mind

Its other names

Local names

Agwa, Akara-binch, Akedi, Akitereku ase, Amuli, Asedua kokoo, Barbati, Be-hlawi, Beloi, Besei, Black eye pea, Black-eyed bean, Bojo, Boo, Bora bean, Bori, Dau den, Dolique a oeil noir, Dunguri, Eboo, Eggobe, Ekiyindiru, E-lel, Enkoole, Ere, Ewa, Ewe, Feijao-macanha, Frijol de vaca, Imare, Iniangu, Jiang dou, Kacang merah, Kattukanam, Kelege kelegete, Kuerbse, Laputu, Likote, Madan bean, Mandala, Mpindi, Mugobiswa, Mwende, Ngor, Nhebe-limboncadje, Nhebe-limboque, Niebe, Nsili, Nyebe, Nyele, Obo, Omugobe, Peanut bean, Pini, Sasage, Sbaithai, Shirshira, Tau kok, Te bin, Thua pum, Tindlubu, Tinhlumayo, Towo, Wake, Wakei, Watalo-binch, Yoo, adagora, adagura, adagura-kwolla, adonguari, adroso, akoro bong, amaret, amuli, asparagus bean, atera-argobba, atera-kech'ene, atimbawini, augenbohne, bachapin bean, bean, black eye bean, black-eye pea, black-eyed bean, black-eyed-pea, bodi bean, boojwoge, boontjie, brown-eyed bean, catjang, catjang cowpea, chiclayo, chiluwe, costeño, cow pea, cowpea, crowder pea, crowder-pea, digir, dinaba, dinawa, dinawa ja badogwa, dinawa ja thsekene, dolique de chine, dolique mongette, dongbu, eboo, eggobe, ekiyindiru, enkoole/re, ere bean, fagiolino dall'occhio, feijao frade, feijao nhemba, feijao-da-china, feijão-fradinho, frijol de costa, gakakurukadi, gayan gayan, habb-ul-quilt, haricot a oeil noir, haricot dolique, haricot indigène, haricot kilometre, haricot mongette, haricot-dolique, hindu cowpea, horse gram, horse gram (grain), hurali, huruli, ilanda, imare, imbumba, inandala, indumba, isihlumaya, isokolo, jiang dou, judía catjang, ka'ani, kaanam, kaffer boontjie, kafferboontjie, kaffir bean, kaffir pea, kalathi, kalaya, kanyangube, kanyembanyemba, keanam, khalva, khobwe, kiyindiru, koertjie, kollu, kolobo osu, kolobo osubi, kotate, ko??u (seed), kroo bean, kulastha, kulatha, kulathi, kulattha, kulattha (seed), kulitha, kulthi, kunde, kurathi, kurti-kalai kulti, ka?am, lalputu, libose, liboshi, likote, likuvi, long bean, long bean|mekaral / li -me / nil me, loubia, lubia helow/hellu, madras gram, makunde gakakurukadi, mbalo, mbawen nyangana, mei dou, mkunde, mkundemwitu, monawa, mpindi, mtambe, mudiraa, mugobiswa, munaoa, munawa, muriwo we nyemba, muthera, mutira, mutirai, nawa, nawa-ea-setswana, ngetenemuri, ngunde, niebe, niébé, njeri, nkunda, nkunde, nsansa, nseula, nyawa, nyele, nyemba, nyeni ci thoroko, nyolwa, obo, omakunde, omugobe, omugobe ishwa, ona, osubi, otyang gatagata, otyanga tyanga, owambo bean, pea bean, pois à vaches, polon me, purple-eyed bean, rabiza, reeve's-pea, sang-e-sikan, sasage, snake bean, snake-bean, southern pea, southern-pea, sow-pea, tinyawa, tinyawo, tutuli bean, ulavalu, umcwasibe, vardhipatraka, vardhipatraka kulashta, vigna cinese, waken gizo, wild cowpea, yard-long bean, zindulumayo, zinzumaya, |khaib, ögonböna.

Synonyms

Dolichos biflorus L. Dolichos catjang L. Dolichos hastifolius Schnizl. Dolichos lubia Forssk. Dolich