Malay licorice
Abrus pulchellus

Family: Fabaceae

What it is like

A shrub or small tree. It grows 5 m tall. There are prickles along the stem. The leaves are twice divided and there are 8-18 pairs of pinnae. There are up to 50 pairs of pinnules on each pinnae. The flowers are yellow. They are in large clusters at the ends of branches. The pods are flattened.

There are 26 Abrus species.

Where it is found

A tropical plant. It grows in secondary vegetation in West Africa. It prefers damp locations. It is often along rivers. In southern China it grows between 200-3,000 m above sea level.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Andamans, Asia, Australia, Bangladesh, Benin, Bhutan, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, China, Guianas, Guinea, Guinée, Guinea-Bissau, India, Indochina, Indonesia, Himalayas, Laos, Liberia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Nigeria, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, SE Asia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South America, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Thailand, Vietnam, West Africa

How it is used for food

The root are used as a substitute for liquorice. The stems are used as a sweetener. Caution: The seeds are poisonous. They contain pulchellin.

Edible parts

Roots, seeds, stem, caution

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Benambo, Bunambo, Bu segseg

Synonyms

Abrus fruticulosus auct. non Wight & Arn. Misapplied; Abrus melanospermus Hassk.; and others