Centrosema macrocarpum
Family: Fabaceae
What it is like
A trailing herb. It has a taproot and slender stems. The young stems have greyish hairs. The leaves have 3 leaflets. The leaflets are oval. They are rounded at the base and taper at the tip. The central leaflet is largest and 8-13 cm long by 3-8 cm wide. The flowers are in groups in the axils of leaves. There can be 30 flowers in pairs. The petals are cream with a purple centre. The pod is 30 cm long and 1 cm wide. There are 25 seeds. They are 5 mm long by 3 mm wide. They are yellowish-brown.
There are 45 Centrosema species. Also as Papilionaceae.
Where it is found
A tropical plant. It can grow in low fertility on well drained soils. It can tolerate acid conditions and soils with high aluminium.
Countries/locations it is found in
Bolivia, Brazil, Central America, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, French Guiana, Guyana, Honduras, Mexico, Panama, Peru, South America, Venezuela
How it is used for food
Edible parts
Seeds, leaves