Yellow carpet bean
Rhynchosia totta

Family: Fabaceae

What it is like

A climbing herb. It has underground stems or rhizomes. It grows 1 m high. It has a tuberous rootstock and several thin stems. They can be covered with silvery or rusty hairs. The leaves have 3 leaflets. These can be 1-10 cm long by 3 cm wide. The flowers can occur singly or as a few in a group. They are yellow with red. The fruit are pods 2-4 cm long by 1 cm wide. The seeds are dark brown and kidney shaped. They are 3-5 mm long by 2-4 mm wide. There are several different varieties.

It is used in medicine.

Where it is found

It is a tropical plant. It grows in sands. It grows between 10-2,090 m above sea level. It can grow in arid places.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Angola, Botswana, Central Africa, Chad, East Africa, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Kenya, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Somalia, South Africa, Southern Africa, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, West Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe

How it is used for food

The root tuber is chewed for its sweet flavour. They can be eaten raw or roasted.

It is eaten especially by children but also by adults.

Edible parts

Root, tuber

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Igugude, Kawab, Ligududze, Malintsoetla, Matsoelintsoetla, Mawungula, Nawayanaga, Samphiphi, Sebalibetloa, Seoeloloetla, Setloli, Tsoetsoetlela

Synonyms

Glycine totta Thunb.; Rhynchosia airica Mire & H. Gillet; Rhynchosia elegantissima Schinz; Rhynchosia filicaulis Baker; Rhynchosia tibestica Mire, H. Gillet & Quezel; Rhynchosa venulosa (Hiern) Schum.;