Mucuna pruriens (L.) DC.

George R. Proctor (2012). Flora of the Cayman Isands (Second Edition). Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

Vernacular

COW-ITCH

Morphology General Habit

An elongate herbaceous vine, growing over shrubs and small trees; leaflets rhombic-ovate, the lateral very asymmetric, 7–14 cm long, of thin texture, appressed-pilose especially beneath

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Racemes mostly short-pedunculate, few-flowered; calyx broader than long, the lowest lobe up to 10 mm long; corolla dull dark purple; standard 2 cm long, half as long as the wings; keel 4.5 cm long, yellowish-beaked

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Pods curved-oblong, mostly 5–7.5 cm long, 1–1.5 cm thick, covered with abundant easily detached irritant hairs; seeds 2–6, transverse-oblong, 1–1.5 cm long, black with a white hilum.

Distribution

Grand Cayman. Pantropical.

Note

The stinging hairs of the pods can cause almost unbearable itching and burning of the skin, and are very dangerous to the eyes.

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation

Predicted extinction risk: not threatened. Confidence: confident

The Useful Plants of Boyacá project

Distribution

Naturalised in Colombia.

Morphology General Habit

Liana, creeper.

Ecology

Alt. 80 - 1800 m.

Leguminosae, B. Mackinder, R. Pasquet, R. Polhill and B. Verdcourt. Flora Zambesiaca 3:5. 2001

Morphology General Habit

Climbing herb 1–4.5(6) m long, usually annual or a short-lived perennial but also stated to climb to the tops of tall trees.

Morphology Stem

Stems densely hairy at first, later glabrous.

Morphology Leaves Leaflets

Leaflets rather thin, 4.8–19 × 3.4–16.8 cm, obovate, elliptic, rhombic or ovate, the laterals very oblique, acute or acuminate or rarely rounded at the apex, rounded at the base, sparsely to densely appressed grey or silvery hairy on both surfaces, not blackening on drying; petiole 2–40 cm long; rhachis 1–5 cm long; petiolules 3–6 mm long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescences silvery pubescent; rhachis 2–29 cm long; peduncle 2–18 cm long; flowers 2–3 per node, on pedicels 1.5–6 mm long; bracts 10–15 × 6 mm; bracteoles 10 × 2 mm, very deciduous.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx appressed silvery pubescent; tube 5–7 mm long; lobes 3–9 mm long, the lower linear-lanceolate to triangular, the upper pair joined to form a triangular lip.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Standard blackish-purple to pale lilac or white, 1.7–2.2 × 1.4–1.5 cm, ovate, investing wings and not becoming erect; wings pale lilac to purple, 3–3.5 cm long; keel white, tinged mauve, 3.2–3.7 cm long, apical beak recurved and horny; staminal tube white.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Pods 4–9 × 1–1.5 cm (sometimes 2 cm in cultivated forms), oblong, often S-shaped, densely covered with brown or reddish-orange irritant bristly hairs which sometimes appear black in the mass, longitudinally ribbed under the hairs; in some cultivated forms the pods are glabrescent or velvety hairy but lack the bristles.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds pinkish-brown speckled black or almost entirely black (or white to black in cultivars), 10–19 × 7.5–13 × 4–6.5 mm, oblong-ellipsoid, compressed; hilum c. 4 mm long, oblong; rim aril cream, somewhat wrinkled and with a scale-like extension.

Bernal, R., Gradstein, S.R. & Celis, M. (eds.). 2015. Catálogo de plantas y líquenes de Colombia. Instituto de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá. http://catalogoplantasdecolombia.unal.edu.co

Distribution

Naturalizada en Colombia; Alt. 80 - 1800 m.; Andes, Orinoquia, Pacífico, Valle del Cauca, Valle del Magdalena.

Morphology General Habit

Trepadora, liana

Conservation

No Evaluada

Leguminosae, J. B. Gillett, R. M. Polhill & B. Verdcourt. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1971

Morphology General Habit

Climbing herb 2–3 m. long, usually annual or a short-lived perennial, but also stated to climb to the tops of tall trees.

Morphology Stem

Stems densely hairy at first, later glabrous.

Morphology Leaves

Leaflets rather thin, obovate, elliptic, rhomboid or ovate, the laterals very oblique, 4·8–19 cm. long, 3·4–16·8 cm. wide, acute or acuminate or rarely rounded at the apex, rounded at the base, sparsely to densely adpressed grey or silvery hairy on both surfaces, not blackening on drying; petiole 2–40 cm. long; rhachis 1–5 cm. long; petiolules 3–6 mm. long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescences silvery pubescent; rhachis 2–29 cm. long; peduncle 2–18 cm. long; flowers 2–3 per node, on pedicels 1·5–6 mm. long; bracts 1–1·5 cm. long, 6 mm. wide; bracteoles very deciduous, 1 cm. long, 2 mm. wide.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx adpressed silvery pubescent; tube 5–7 mm. long; lobes 3–9 mm. long, the lower linear-lanceolate to triangular, the upper pair joined to form a triangular lip.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Standard blackish-purple to pale lilac or white, ovate, 1·7–2·2 cm. long, 1·4–1·5 cm. wide; wings pale lilac to purple, 3–3·5 cm. long; keel white, tinged mauve, 3·2–3·7 cm. long, apical beak recurved and horny; staminal tube white.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Pods oblong, often S-shaped, 4–9 cm. long, 1–1·5 cm. wide (sometimes 2 cm. in cultivated forms), densely covered with brown or reddish-orange irritant bristly hairs which sometimes appear black in the mass, longitudinally ribbed under the hairs; in some cultivated forms the pods are glabrescent or velvety hairy but lack the bristles.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds pinkish-brown speckled black or almost entirely black (or white to black in cultivars), oblong-ellipsoid, compressed, longest dimension 1–1·9 cm., shorter dimension 7·5–13 mm., thickness 4–6·5 mm.; hilum oblong, ± 4 mm. long; rim-aril cream, somewhat wrinkled and with a scale-like extension.

International Legume Database and Information Service

Conservation

Not Threatened

Ecology

Africa: Sudanian wooded grassland, Lake Victoria regional mosaic; forest., Lake Victoria regional mosaic; anthropic landscapes., Lake Victoria regional mosaic; bushland and thicket, Somalia-Masai wooded grasslands., Somalia-Masai bushland and thicket, Gui

Morphology General Habit

Annual/Perennial, Climbing, Herb/Shrub

Vernacular

Achariya, Achariya-pala, Aga, Agy, Ahagy, Bhainswalibel, Buchariwa, Bu-chariya, Buffalo Bean, Chunao-avarai, Cow Itch, Cowage Velvetbean, Cowitch, Cow-itch, Fogarate, Ginipus-wel, Gratey, Hell Fire Bean, Itchy Bean, Phandatullai, Pica Pica, Poil A Gratter

Bernal, R., G. Galeano, A. Rodríguez, H. Sarmiento y M. Gutiérrez. 2017. Nombres Comunes de las Plantas de Colombia. http://www.biovirtual.unal.edu.co/nombrescomunes/

Vernacular

bejuco picapica, congolo, cóngolo, fríjol terciopelo, nescafé, ojo de buey, picapica

Use Materials

Materials (State of the World's Plants 2016).

Use Materials Unspecified Materials Chemicals

Materials (State of the World's Plants 2016).

Use Medicines Unspecified Medicinal Disorders

Medicinal (State of the World's Plants 2016, Instituto Humboldt 2014).

Use

Domestic, Environmental, Food and Drink, Forage, Medicine, Toxins, Weed