Rice bean, Climbing-mountain-bean
Vigna umbellata

Family: Fabaceae

What it is like

A herb. It is a climbing bean plant with a slender hairy vine. It is twining and an annual plant. It grows from seed each year. It grows to 1.5-3 m long. Stems are hairy. Leaves have 3 leaflets which can vary in shape. They are mostly oval and 3-13 cm long by 1.5-7 cm wide. They taper towards the tip and are rounded at the base. Usually they are hairy. The leaf stalks are 3-16 cm long. Flowers are about 1.5 cm long in dense cone shaped clusters. These flowering stalks can be 3-10 cm long. The flowers are yellow. The fruit are straight pods about 10 cm long and 5 mm wide. Seeds are small (5-8 mm long) and yellow to brown. The pods split open easily. The seeds can be yellow, green, brown, red, black or mottled.

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

Where it is found

A tropical plant. It grows from 0-1800 m altitude in the tropics. It suits wet climates. It occasionally becomes self sown in coastal grasslands. It needs a sunny protected position. They are drought and frost tender. It can grow in arid places.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Angola, Asia, Australia, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brazil, Cambodia, Cameroon, Central Africa, China, Congo, Costa Rica, Cuba, East Africa, East Timor, Fiji, Ghana, Haiti, Himalayas, India, Indochina, Indonesia, Japan, Kenya, Korea, Laos, Liberia, Madagascar, Malaysia, Mali, Mauritius, Myanmar, Nepal, Northeastern India, Pacific, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Reunion, SE Asia, Sierra Leone, Sikkim, Solomon Islands, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Tanzania, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Vietnam, West Africa, West Indies, West Timor, Zambia

How it is used for food

The young pods and ripe seeds are eaten cooked. The dried seeds are boiled and served with rice or used in soups and stews. The young leaves can be eaten. The seeds are used in bean sprouts. (Seeds should be cooked or crushed if fed to pigs.)

It is a commercially cultivated vegetable. Seen occasionally in several areas in Papua New Guinea but only of minor importance as a food.

Edible parts

Seeds, leaves, pods, sprouted seeds, vegetable

How it is grown

It is grown by seeds. Seed collection is easy. Seeds often have a hard skin which must be broken (eg by scraping) before seeds will germinate easily.

Its other names

Local names

Beli, Be-nauk, Be-pwe, Be-sang, Be-te, Be-tyel, Dau-gao, Dau nhonhe, Frijol de arroz, Ghurush, Gurounsk, Haricot riz, Kachang enjing, Kachang ruji, Kachang sepalit, Kachang uchi, Katjang otji, Mambi-bean, Masyan, Masyang ko dal, Mugi tasud, Ning krung-shapre, Oriental-bean, Pau maia, Pe-nauk-saung, Pe-yin, Red bean, Reisbohne, Rumbaiya, Sanndaek angkat miehs, Shima tsuru azuki, Sita mas, Sutri, Tua deng, Tua pe, Tua pi

Synonyms

Azukia umbellata (Thunb.) Ohwi; Dolichos umbellatus Thunb.; Phaseolus calcaratus Roxb.; Phaseolus ricciardus Ten.; Vigna calcarata (Roxb.) Kurz; Vigna papuana Bak.f.; Vigna ricciardiana Delandia umbellata (Thunberg) S. Y. Hu; and others