| Etymology | Genus | From Greek, psophos (noise) and karpos (fruit), referring to the noisy explosion of the ripened seed pods |
|---|---|---|
| Species | Four-angled lobes, referring to the fruits | |
| Family | Fabaceae | |
| Synonyms | Dolichos tetragonolobus L. | |
| Common Names | Winged Bean | |
| Status | Exotic: Cultivated Only | |
| Form | Climber | |
| Native Distribution | Uncertain, possibly Africa, Indonesia, or Papua New Guinea | |
Diagnostics:
Psophocarpus tetragonolobus is a climber grown for its edible plant parts. It has trifoliate leaves, and white or purple flowers. The pods are most distinctive, with four winged edges along the length.
Interesting Facts:
All parts of the plant are said to be edible (Fern, 2019). The leaves, tubers, flowers, seeds and pods are eaten raw or cooked. It is also said to have excellent nitrogen fixing properties, producing much more root nodules than other members in the Fabaceae family.
The Winged Bean at Pavilion Edible Garden, 2020.
Leaf.
Flower.
Winged fruit.
References
K Fern (2019) Tropical Plants Database. http://tropical.theferns.info. 2020-01-09.
Author: Siyang
Posted: 2020-01-06 / Modified: 2020-01-10
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