Horse-Eye Bean
Mucuna sloanei

Family: Fabaceae

What it is like

A woody climbing herb. It can grow 6-15 m long. The leaves are alternate and have 3 leaflets. The leaflets are 8-12 cm long by 6-8 cm wide. The upper surface is dull green and the lower surface pale. The end leaflet is narrowly oval and the side leaflets are unequal. The flowers are in short groups in the axils of leaves. They are yellowish green. The pod is oblong and flattened. It is 8-18 cm long by 4-5 cm wide. It is covered with stinging hairs. There are 2-4 seeds. They are round and 2-3 cm long. They are brown with a white hilum.

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

Where it is found

A tropical plant. It grows in savannah woodland, deciduous forest and secondary jungle in West Africa. It grows best in damp sites. It cannot tolerate frost. It can grow in arid places. In Argentina it grows below 500 m above sea level.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Angola, Antilles, Argentina, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Cameroon, Caribbean, Central Africa, Central Africa Republic, CAR, Central America (country/location of origin), Colombia, Congo DR, Costa Rica, Côte d'Ivoire, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Equatorial-Guinea, French Guiana, Gabon, Ghana, Guatemala, Guianas, Guinea, Guinée, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti (country/location of origin), Hispaniola, Honduras, Ivory Coast, Jamaica (country/location of origin), Leeward Is., Lesser Antilles, Liberia, Marquesas, Mexico, Nicaragua, Nigeria, North America, Pacific, Panama, Peru, Puerto Rico, Sao Tome and Principe, Sierra Leone, South America (country/location of origin), Suriname, Togo, Trinidad-Tobago, USA, Venezuela, West Africa, West Indies (country/location of origin)

How it is used for food

The young seeds pods are used.

Seeds are sold in local markets.

Edible parts

Seeds, seeds pods, vegetable

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Buco-nhoale, Cosse, Ganhaca, Ganhoma, M'ple, Mafora, Mafurae, Manfora, Mansombrina, Metaftum, Nayuma, Nhandebague, Nhanhanaco, Nhanhefa, Nhanhenfa, ado, Ojo de buey, Ojo be venado, Talco-ja, Talcodja, Um-hae

Synonyms

Dolichos urens Jacq.; Dolichos urens L.; Mucuna urens (Jacq.) DC.;