Hairypod cowpea, Chinese dolichos, Clay pea
Vigna luteola

Family: Fabaceae

What it is like

A climbing herb. The stems are slender. They are tough and creeping. It keeps growing from year to year. They can be 6 m long. The leaves are alternate and have 3 leaflets. The leaflets are narrowly oval and 3-10 cm long by 1-5 cm wide. The flowers are yellow and like pea flowers. The fruit are long narrow pods. It is 6-8 cm long. They hang down. The seeds are dark red-brown or can be grey brown speckled with black. They are oblong.

There are about 150 Vigna species. They are mostly in the tropics.

Where it is found

A tropical plant. It grows from sea level to 2,200 m altitude. It needs a rainfall of 1,250 mm or more. It grows in water or in permanently waterlogged sites. It can be along the edges of mangroves. It can grow in arid places. In Taiwan it grows below 100 m above sea level.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa (country/location of origin), Angola, Argentina, Asia, Australia, Benin, Botswana, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central Africa, Chad, China, Congo, Côte d'Ivoire, Cuba, Dominican Republic, East Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guiana, Guianas, Guinea, Guinée, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti (country/location of origin), India, Indochina, Iran, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Kenya, Laos, Liberia, Malawi, Mauritius, Middle East, Mozambique, Myanmar, Niger, North Africa, North America, Papua New Guinea, Puerto Rico, Reunion, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe, SE Asia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Socotra, South Africa, South America (country/location of origin), Southern Africa, Sudan, Suriname, Taiwan, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, USA, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Vietnam, West Africa, West Indies (country/location of origin), Zambia, Zimbabwe

How it is used for food

The roots are eaten raw. They have sweet juice. The flowers are used in savoury dishes. They are cooked and eaten. The young seeds are cooked and eaten.

The roots are especially eaten by boys.

Edible parts

Flowers, roots, seeds, leaves, vegetable

How it is grown

In Malawi the roots are eaten in February and March.

Its other names

Local names

Batatarana, Chow lu, Dalrymple vigna, Dau vang, Feijao-caupi-do-mato, Feijao-da-praia, Koondii, Kuanga, Mikho, Mukho, Porotillo, Tow-cok

Synonyms

Vigna glabra Savi; Vigna brachystachys Benth.; Vigna bukobensis Harms; Vigna bukombensis Harms; Vigna fischeri Harms; Vigna nigerica A. Chev.; Vigna nilotica Hook. f.; Dolichos luteolus Jacq.; Dolichos repens L.; Phaseolus luteolus (Jacq.) Gagnep.; Vigna repens (L.) Kuntze; and others