Vigna frutescens
A.Rich.
Fabaceae
Liebrechtsia esculenta De Wild.
Liebrechtsia katangensis De Wild.
Liebrechtsia kotschyi (Schweinf.) De Wild.
Liebrechtsia schweinfurthii De Wild.
Liebrechtsia spartioides (Taub.) De Wild.
Vigna buchneri Harms
Vigna debanensis Martelli
Vigna decipiens Harv.
Vigna esculenta (De Wild.) De Wild.
Vigna fragrans Baker f.
Vigna glandulosa Chiov.
Vigna harmsiana Buscal. & Muschl.
Vigna incana Taub.
Vigna katangensis (De Wild.) T.Durand & H.Durand
Vigna keniensis Harms
Vigna kotschyi Schweinf.
Vigna ledermannii Harms
Vigna longiloba Burtt Davy
Vigna neumannii Harms
Vigna pongolensis Burtt Davy
Vigna pseudotriloba Harms
Vigna spartioides Taub.
Vigna sudanica Baker f.
Vigna taubertii Volkens ex Harms
Vigna violacea Hutch.
Common Name:
General Information
Vigna frutescens is a herbaceous perennial plant growing from a woody rootstock (the tuber is often 5cm wide). The stems scramble over the ground, twining into the surrounding vegetation for support; they are usually 50 - 150cm long, but can be up to 400cm when supported by other plants. After being cut back by fire, the plant will often start flowering when the stems are only 7 - 20cm long and still erect, before the leaves appear[
328- Title
- African Flowering Plants Database
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://www.ville-ge.ch/musinfo/bd/cjb/africa/recherche.php
- Publisher
- Conservatoire et Jardin Botaniques.
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- Contains information on over 150,000 plant names (including synonyms) giving a description and habitat, plus a distribution map.
,
332- Title
- The Useful Plants of West Tropical Africa.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Burkil. H. M.
- Publisher
- Royal Botanic Gardens; Kew.
- Year
- 1985 - 2004
- ISBN
-
- Description
- Brief descriptions and details of the uses of over 4,000 plants. A superb, if terse, resource, it is also available electronically on the Web - see http://www.aluka.org/
].
The plant is harvested from the wild for its root, which is used locally as a food. The plant bears fragrant, beautiful lavender-violet flowers and is sometimes grown as an ornamental in gardens[
332- Title
- The Useful Plants of West Tropical Africa.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Burkil. H. M.
- Publisher
- Royal Botanic Gardens; Kew.
- Year
- 1985 - 2004
- ISBN
-
- Description
- Brief descriptions and details of the uses of over 4,000 plants. A superb, if terse, resource, it is also available electronically on the Web - see http://www.aluka.org/
].
Known Hazards
None known
Botanical References
308- Title
- Flora Zambesiaca
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://apps.kew.org/efloras/fz/intro.html
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- An excellent online flora of plants from the Zambezi River basin. It lists a number of the plant uses as well as the habitats and botanical descriptions of the plants.
Range
Africa - widespread from Ghana to Eritrea and Ethiopia, south to S. Africa, but absent from the areas of heavier rainfall.
Habitat
Woodland with Combretum collinum, C. molle, Annona senegalensis; or with Combretum molle, Stereospermum kunthianum, Erythrina abyssinica, Entada abyssinica; Loudetia arundinacea grassland on shallow soil, mostly subject to seasonal burning; etc[
328- Title
- African Flowering Plants Database
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://www.ville-ge.ch/musinfo/bd/cjb/africa/recherche.php
- Publisher
- Conservatoire et Jardin Botaniques.
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- Contains information on over 150,000 plant names (including synonyms) giving a description and habitat, plus a distribution map.
].
Properties
| Edibility Rating |  |
| Other Uses Rating |  |
| Habit | Perennial Climber |
| Height | 2.00 m |
| Cultivation Status | Ornamental, Wild |
Cultivation Details
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[
755- Title
- Nodulation Plants in GRIN Taxonomy
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://www.ars-grin.gov/~sbmljw/cgi-bin/taxnodul.pl?language=en
- Publisher
- United States Department of Agriculture
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- An online database listing plants that have either positive or negative reports on root and stem nodulation with nitrogen-fixing bacteria.
].
Edible Uses
Roots - raw or cooked. The younger ones are often eaten raw, older ones either cooked or dried and ground to a powder[
1442- Title
- Composition of Tubers Used by Hadza Foragers of Tanzania
- Publication
- Journal of Food Composition and Analysis (2001) 14, 15-25
- Author
- Schoeninger M.J.; Bunn H.T.; Murray S.S.; Marlett J.A.
- Website
- http://10.1006/jfca.2000.0961
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 2000
- ISBN
-
- Description
-
]. The roots are rather fibrous, traditionally they would be chewed and the fibrous portion spat out. If the root is dried and powdered, the fibre can be separated by sieving prior to cooking
Medicinal
None known
Other Uses
A fibre is obtained from the stem[
332- Title
- The Useful Plants of West Tropical Africa.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Burkil. H. M.
- Publisher
- Royal Botanic Gardens; Kew.
- Year
- 1985 - 2004
- ISBN
-
- Description
- Brief descriptions and details of the uses of over 4,000 plants. A superb, if terse, resource, it is also available electronically on the Web - see http://www.aluka.org/
].
Propagation
Seed -
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Useful Tropical Plants Database 2014 by
Ken Fern,
web interface by
Ajna Fern
with help from
Richard Morris.
