Showy pigeon pea
Cajanus scarabaeoides

Family: Fabaceae

What it is like

A slender trailing herb. The root is woody. The stems have a rusty red covering of hairs. The leaves are divided into 3 leaflets. The leaflets are oval. The leaflets are 1-7 cm long by 1-3 cm wide. They are covered with dense grey hairs. The flowers are in clusters of 2-6. They are yellow and crimson. They are on a short stalk in the axils of leaves. The fruit is a pod 1.5-2.5 cm long by 5-7 mm wide. It is covered with fine silky hairs. There are grooves across the pod between the seeds. There are 3-6 seeds.

There are 37 Cajanus species.

Where it is found

It is a tropical plant. It grows in Nepal to 1000 m altitude. It is drought resistant. It grows in hedges and open forests. In southern China it grows between 100-1,500 m above sea level. in Sichuan and Yunnan.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Asia, Australia, Bangladesh, Benin, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, Comoros, East Africa, Fiji, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinée, Guinea-Bissau, Himalayas, India (country/location of origin), Indochina, Indonesia, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Japan, Laos, Madagascar, Malaysia, Mali, Mauritius, Myanmar, Nepal, New Caledonia, Nigeria, Northeastern India, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Reunion, SE Asia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Tanzania, Thailand, Tuvalu, Vietnam, West Africa, Zambia

How it is used for food

The young fruit are cooked as a vegetable. The seeds are eaten cooked like beans. They are used as a substitute for pigeon pea. The pods are boiled in water with salt and the seeds eaten after boiling. The young leaves are cooked and eaten as a vegetable.

It is sold in local markets in China.

Edible parts

Fruit, leaves, pods, seeds, vegetable, tea

How it is grown

Plants are grown from seed.

Its other names

Local names

Ban gahate, Ban-kulthia, Bay-no, Binhdau, Di dou cao, Jangali tur, Juglee tur, Kadu togari, Kandoarsga, Kattuthuvarai, Konda kandi, Kulthia, Ran-tur, Sanndaek prei, Sulayaho, Ta-a, Wal kollu

Synonyms

Atylosia pauciflora (Wight & Arn.) Druce; Atylosia scarabaeoides (L.) Benth.; Cantharospermum scarabaeoides (L.) Baillon; Dolichos scarabaeoides L.; and others