Large fruited mucuna
Mucuna macrocarpa
Family: Fabaceae
What it is like
A large woody vine. The young stems have fine hairs. The leaves are 25-33 cm long. They have leaflets that are oval and 10-19 cm long by 5-10 cm wide. The flowering stalks arise from old stems and are 5-23 cm long. The flowers are greenish white with purple wings. The pods are 26-48 cm long by 3-5 cm wide and 7-10 mm thick. There are 6-15 seeds that are disk shaped and 2-3 cm long by 2-3 cm wide and 5-10 mm thick.
Where it is found
It is a tropical plant. It grows in forests on dry sandy land between 800-3,000 m above sea level. In Yunnan.
Countries/locations it is found in
Asia, Bhutan, China, Himalayas, India, Indochina, Japan, Laos, Myanmar, Nepal, SE Asia, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam
How it is used for food
The flower is eaten as a potherb.
Edible parts
Flower, leaves
How it is grown
Plants can be grown from seed.
Its other names
Local names
Baldangra, Gua la lu, Ke tuo, Ne qi a yi, Pangra, Pauk-net