Rhynchosia minima has a very great range of variation and is exceedingly difficult to divide into lower taxa[].

Common Name:

General Information

Rhynchosia minima is a slender, trailing or twining plant with numerous stems 30 - 150cm or more long and up to 20mm in diameter, growing from a woody root-stock[, , ]. Reports vary as to whether the plant is an annual or perennial.
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a medicine and source of food. It has potential for use as a herbicide.
The population of Rhynchosia minima is believed to be stable and no real threats are known at present. The plant is classified as 'Least Concern' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2013)[].

Known Hazards

The seeds are used as miscellaneous poisons or repellents[].
Poisonous properties attributed to the seeds of this plant have been disproved[].

Botanical References

Range

Pantropical - probably originally native to the Old World tropics, but widely distributed by humans

Habitat

Grassland, grassland with scattered trees, dambo and pan margins and woody bushland. Reported from ruderal land, roadside, grazed and human disturbed land, generally on plain land and sandy black soil; at elevations up to 4,000 metres[].

Properties

Conservation Status	Least Concern
Habit	Annual/Perennial
Height	1.20 m
Pollinators	Bees
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Requires a well-drained soil[]. Somewhat tolerant of saline soils[].
Probably introduced to many countries in seed mixtures for soil improvement, this species has become naturalized at low elevation in several Pacific Islands where it is considered to be invasive. It can form a a densely interlocking mat under coconut trees, has become an adventive along roadsides, in plantations, or in waste places near sea level[].
This species has a symbiotic relationship with certain soil bacteria; these bacteria form nodules on the roots and fix atmospheric nitrogen. Some of this nitrogen is utilized by the growing plant but some can also be used by other plants growing nearby[].

Edible Uses

The plant is also used as food for making sweetmeats[, ].

Medicinal

The root is laxative, vermifuge. It is used in the treatment of diarrhoea, dysentery[, ].

The leaf-sap and the root are used to treat haemorrhoids[, ].

The leaves are abortifacient, inducing contractions of the uterus[, , ].

The seed is cardiac[, ].

The plant is a source of prodelphinidin, which has antibiotic activity[].

Literature reviews have shown that the plant contains essential oils, tannins, triterpene steroids, gallic acid, hydroquinone, protocatechuic acid, flavonoid, isovitexin, orientin, schaftoside, vicenin, vitexin, a steroidal glycoside, ergosterol peroxide, stigmasterol and lupeol It also exhibited several biological activities, including antimicrobial, anticancer, a-glucosidase inhibitory and anthelmintic activities[].

Agroforestry Uses:

We have seen no specific entry for this species, but all members of this genus have at least some merit for use as a ground cover and in local soil conservation projects[].

Other Uses

The seeds are used as miscellaneous poisons or repellents[].

An essential oil obtained from the aerial parts of the plant has shown a significant inhibition in the germination of seeds of the common weedsf Dactyloctenium aegyptium and Rumex dentatus. It has potential for use as a pre-emergence herbicide[].

Propagation

Like many species within the family Fabaceae, once they have ripened and dried the seeds of this species may benefit from scarification before sowing in order to speed up and improve germination. This can usually be done by pouring a small amount of nearly boiling water on the seeds (being careful not to cook them!) and then soaking them for 12 - 24 hours in warm water. By this time they should have imbibed moisture and swollen - if they have not, then carefully make a nick in the seedcoat (being careful not to damage the embryo) and soak for a further 12 hours before sowing[].

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