Burn moth vine
Rhynchosia minima

Family: Fabaceae

What it is like

A slender trailing herb. It has a woody rootstock. It has fine hairs. It can lie along the ground. It can be 5 m long. The leaves have 3 leaflets. The leaflets taper to a sharp point at the tip. There are 3 varieties. The flower are 5-10 mm long with a yellow standard. The pods are 20 mm long by 4-5 mm wide. They are narrowed at the base.

Where it is found

It is a tropical plant. It grows in open savannah and drier parts of West Africa. It grows between 30-2,440 m above sea level. It grows in areas with an annual rainfall between 1,000-1,270 m above sea level. It can grow in salty soil. It can grow in arid places. In Argentina it grows below 500 m above sea level. In Sichuan and Yunnan.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Afghanistan, Angola, Arabia, Argentina, Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bhutan, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central Africa, Central African Republic, CAR, Central America, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia, Congo, Costa Rica, Côte d'Ivoire, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, East Africa, East Timor, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Fiji, French Guiana, Gambia, Ghana, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Guatemala, Guianas, Guinea, Guinée, Guyana, Haiti, Himalayas, Honduras, India, Indochina, Indonesia, Israel, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Japan, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Malaysia, Mali, Martinique, Mediterranean, Mexico, Middle East, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nepal, New Caledonia, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Niue, North Africa, North America, Oman, Pacific, Pakistan, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Puerto Rico, Rwanda, Ryukyu, Samoa, Saudi Arabia, SE Asia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, Southern Africa, South America, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Taiwan, Tanzania, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Togo, Trinidad-Tobago, Uganda, USA, Venezuela, Vietnam, West Africa, West Indies, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe

How it is used for food

The leaves are used for tea and also used as a relish.

Edible parts

Root bark, leaves - tea, flowers, seeds

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Chipali, Dau-mo nho, Frijolillo, Habilla, Herdal, Jajale, Jangli arwan, Jangli lobia, Kamwazi, Mborosan, Orosus, Sharkuma, Tarillo, Taw-pe

Synonyms

Dolicholus minimus (L.) Hiern.; Dolichos minimus L.;