Psophocarpus lancifolius
Family: Fabaceae
What it is like
A herb. It is a climbing plant that keeps growing from year to year. It grows 5 m long. The stems can form roots at the nodes and then produce tubers at this point. The plant is covered with soft yellow hairs. The leaflets are narrowly oval and hairy. The standard of the flowers is pink to violet inside and white near the throat. The pods are winged and square or X-shaped in cross section. The seeds are square to round. There are 8-13 seeds per pod. The seeds are reddish-brown.
Where it is found
It is a tropical plant. In Congo it grows between 1,100-2,550 m altitude. It grows in rocky and swampy savannah. It grows on the edges of forests and in moist places.
Countries/locations it is found in
Africa, Burundi, Central Africa, Congo DR, East Africa, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Nigeria, Rwanda, Southern Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, West Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe
How it is used for food
The tubers are roasted and eaten.
Edible parts
Tubers, root, leaves, seeds