Hyacinth Bean
| Hyacinth bean | ||||||||||||||||||
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 Hyacinth bean plant | ||||||||||||||||||
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| Lablab purpureus (L.) Sweet | ||||||||||||||||||
The Hyacinth Bean (Lablab purpureus, syn. Dolichos lablab L., Dolichos purpureus L., Lablab niger Medikus, Lablab lablab (L.) Lyons, Vigna aristata Piper, and Lablab vulgaris, L.) Savi. [1]), also called Indian Bean and Egyptian Bean, is a species of bean in the family Fabaceae that is widespread as a food crop throughout the tropics, especially in Africa.
The hyacinth bean grows as a vine, producing purple flowers and striking electric-purple coloured seed pods. Pods and seeds may be poisonous due to high concentrations of cyanogenic glucosides, and can only be eaten after prolonged boiling.
It is also grown as forage [2] and as an ornamental plant. [3] In addition, this plant is also cited as a medicinal plant and a poisonous plant. [4] [5]
External links
- The Hyacinth Bean - Informative but non-scholarly essay on Hyacinth Bean history, uses, etymology.
- The Banglalore bean
- Murphy, Andrea M.; Colucci, Pablo E. A tropical forage solution to poor quality ruminant diets: A review of Lablab purpureus Livestock Research for Rural Development (11) 2 1999
- Nutrition facts
References
- ↑ Lablab purpureus at Multilingual taxonomic information from the University of Melbourne
- ↑ Lablab purpureus at FAO
- ↑ Lablab purpureus at Missouri Botanical Garden
- ↑ Lablab purpureus at Plants For A Future
- ↑ Lablab purpureus at North Carolina State University