Wild cowpea, Pencil yam
Vigna vexillata
Family: Fabaceae
What it is like
A variable climbing herb. It keeps growing from year to year. It has a narrow woody rootstock. This is dull white and wrinkled. The vines are 30 cm to 3 m long. They are hairy. The leaves have 3 leaflets and these are oval or long. They can be 3-16 cm long by 0.4-8 cm wide. They taper towards the tip and are rounded at the base. They leaf stalk is 2-11 cm long. The flowering stalks are in the axils of leaves and have 2-6 flowers. The flowering stalk is 5-36 cm long. The pea like flower has a standard which is 2-3 cm long and not the same on both sides. Flowers are pink or purple. The keel is paler with a beak curved back at the end and twisted to one side. The fruit are pods which are held erect. They are 4-14 cm long by 3-4 mm wide and covered with short brown hairs. There are 10-18 seeds. The seeds are light brown to black. They are kidney shaped and 3-4 mm long by 2 mm wide.
There are about 150 Vigna species. They are mostly in the tropics. The tubers have been shown to be 15% protein.
Where it is found
It is a tropical plant. It mostly grows naturally in open woodland on sandstone soils. It will grow in dry, acid, high aluminium soils that are infertile. It can grow in arid places. In Sichuan and Yunnan.
Countries/locations it is found in
Africa, Angola, Asia, Australia, Belize, Bhutan, Botswana, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Caribbean, Central Africa, Central America, Chad, China, Colombia, Congo DR, Costa Rica, Côte d'Ivoire, Cuba, Dominican Republic, East Africa, Ecuador, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, French Guiana, Gambia, Ghana, Guatemala, Guianas, Guinea, Guinée, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Himalayas, Honduras, India, Indochina, Indonesia, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Japan, Kenya, Korea, Laos, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Mali, Mexico, Middle East, Mozambique, Myanmar, Niger, Nigeria, North America, Northeastern India, Pacific, Pakistan, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Puerto Rico, Rwanda, SE Asia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, Southern Africa, South America, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Taiwan, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Venezuela, Vietnam, West Africa, West Indies, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe
How it is used for food
The tuberous roots are eaten raw or cooked. They can be boiled or roasted. The young seeds are cooked and eaten. The leaves can be eaten as a vegetable and also dried.
The roots are popular with hill tribes in India.
Edible parts
Tuber, seeds, roots, leaves
How it is grown
Plants can be grown from seed or tubers.
Seeds are produced about 90 days after planting.
Its other names
Local names
Bejuco marrullero, Bir ghangra, Bonoria urahi, Cam-demba-uri, Chandor, Chaoli, Dau co, Hadunda, Halgia, Halunda, Kaadu taguni, Mgcenga, Mukundulela, Munawana, Murudji, Musivha, Nkasa zimadeso, Nyemba, Obhombo, Qwruh-dibela, Wild mung, Wilde-ertjie, Wuliwirranga
Synonyms
Dolichos cylindricus Desv.; Dolichos vexillatus (L.) Kunth; Phaseolus capensis sensu Thunb.; Phaseolus glycinaeformis J. A. Weinm.; Phaseolus humifusus Savi; Phaseolus pulniensis Wight; Phaseolus quadriflorus A. Rich.; Phaseolus sepiarius Dalz.; Phaseolus vexillatus L. Plectrotropis angustifolia Schum. & Thonn.; Plectrotropis hirsuta Schum. & Thonn.; Strophostyles capensis E. Meyer; Vigna angustifolia (Schum. & Thonn.) Hook.f.; Vigna capensis (Thunb.) Burtt Davy; Vigna carinalis Benth.; Vigna crinita A. Rich.; Vigna davyi Bolus; Vigna dinteri Harms; Vigna dolichoneura Harms; Vigna golungensis Baker; Vigna hirta Hook.; Vigna lobatifolia Baker; Vigna phaseoloides Baker; Vigna scabra Sonder; Vigna senegalensis A. Chev.; Vigna thonningii Hook. f.; Vigna tuberosa A. Rich.; Vigna vexillata (L.) A. Rich. var. hirta (Hook.) Baker .f.; Vigna vexillata (L.) A. Rich. var. thonningii (Hook.) Baker;