D'Albertis creeper
Mucuna platyphylla

Family: Fabaceae

What it is like

A climbing legume. It grows 5-20 m long. It has a brown rusty appearance and short hairs on the stem and leaves. The leaf stalk is 3.5-10 cm long. The leaves are compound. The leaflets are 6-16 cm long by 6-13 cm wide. They taper at the tip. Normally there are a clump of white or yellow flowers together. They are on a stalk 7-25 cm long. This stalk zigzags. The flower stalks are 2 cm long. The pod has wings along the edge and sides. The pod is 6-11 cm long. The seeds can be black or grey. They are 1.7 cm long by 1.4 cm wide. The hilum is black.

There are about 100 Mucuna species. They grow in tropical places. Also as Papilionaceae.

Where it is found

A tropical plant. It grows in rainforest and bush from near sea level to over 2000 m altitude.

Countries/locations it is found in

Pacific, Papua New Guinea

How it is used for food

The seeds are cooked and eaten.

In Papua New Guinea, a minor wild edible plant. It is eaten at least in the Mendi area.

Edible parts

Seeds

How it is grown

It grows wild.

Its other names

Local names

Synonyms

Mucuna forbesii Bak.f.;