Sohphlong
Flemingia procumbens

Family: Fabaceae

What it is like

A small shrub. It grows 1 m high. The roots form tubers. The tubers are smooth and long. They are soft and 3-5 cm long. The leaves have 3 leaflets like fingers. The leaf stalk is 1-2 cm long. The leafy growths (stipules) near the base of the leaves is sword shaped and 0.5 cm long. The leaflets are oblong and 4-6 cm long by 2-3 cm wide. They are softly hairy. The flowers are in a compact group 2 cm long. The petals are like tongues. They are red or purplish. The fruit is an inflated pod 7 mm long. It contains 2 black kidney shaped seeds. These are 2 mm long.

The tubers are rich in starch. There are about 35 Flemingia species.

Where it is found

A tropical plant. It grows in savannah grassland and on roadsides. It grows between 1000-3000 m altitude. It is cultivated in the hills in Assam in India. It grows in mountainous tracts in Assam between 1,000-1,600 m altitude. In Sichuan and Yunnan.

Countries/locations it is found in

Asia, China, Himalayas, India, Indochina, Laos, Nepal, Northeastern India, Pacific, Philippines, SE Asia, Vietnam

How it is used for food

The soft fleshy tubers are eaten. They can be eaten raw or roasted. They are also used as a source of starch.

It is a cultivated food crop. It is a minor cultivated food crop.

Edible parts

Roots, tubers

How it is grown

It is grown from small tubers plants in holes about 10-15 cm deep. They are spaced 25 cm apart. It is also inter-cropped with potatoes.

It takes 7 months to grow. The yield of tubers can be 10t/ha.

Its other names

Local names

Boh phlang, Sohplong, Topmo nghien

Synonyms

Flemingia vestita Benth. ex Baker; Moghania procumbens (Roxburgh) Mukerjee; Moghania vestita (Bentham ex Baker) Kuntze;