Rice bean
Rice bean | ||||||||||||||||||
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Harvested Vigna Umbellata beans | ||||||||||||||||||
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Scientific classification | ||||||||||||||||||
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Vigna umbellata (Thunb.) Ohwi & H. Ohashi | ||||||||||||||||||
The rice bean is a small, hairy annual vine which bears yellow flowers and small edible beans. It is a minor food and fodder crop and occasionally a weed.
The English language name is a literal translation of the Chinese language name (Template:Zh-cp).
Seed color is variable, but commonly red or yellow. The red type is commonly named as 赤小豆 in Chinese, literally meaning 'red small bean'.
Although a separate species from the more common azuki bean, its appearance and uses are similar.