Vigna radiata (L.) R.Wilczek

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

Morphology General Habit

Annual climbing or mostly erect herb, 0·2–0·6 m. tall.

Morphology Stem

Stems covered with long spreading yellow-brown or brown rather bristly hairs.

Morphology Leaves

Leaflets 3, elliptic, rhomboid or ovate, the laterals somewhat oblique, 5–16 cm. long, 3–12 cm. wide, entire or 2–3-lobed, acuminate, broadly cuneate or rounded at the base, glabrous to bristly pilose on both surfaces, sometimes rather conspicuously 3-nerved from the base; petioles 5–21 cm. long; rhachis 1·5–4 cm. long; petiolules 3–6 mm. long; stipules peltate, ovate, rhomboid or obovate-oblong, 1–1·8 cm. long, 0·3–1 cm. wide, margins ciliate; stipels conspicuous, lanceolate.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescences axillary, 4–several(–25)-flowered; peduncle 2·5–9·5 cm. long; pedicels 2–3 mm. long; bracts ovate-lanceolate, 4–5 mm. long, ultimately deciduous; bracteoles linear-lanceolate or oblong, 4–7 mm. long, striate, subpersistent.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx-tube glabrous, 3–4 mm. long; lobes narrowly triangular, 1·5–4 mm. long, ciliate, the upper pair joined to form a bifid lobe.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Standard greenish-yellow outside, sometimes pinkish inside, oblate, somewhat asymmetrically incurved at the apex, 1·2 cm. long, 1·6 cm. wide, emarginate, glabrous; wings yellow; keel green tinged reddish, incurved through 180°, the left-hand petal with a marked pocket.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Pod linear-cylindrical, 4–9 cm. long, 5–6 mm. wide, somewhat constricted between the (8–) 11–14 seeds, covered with dark brown short spreading bristly pubescence.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds greenish, brown or blackish, oblong-cylindrical to globose or subcubic, longest dimension 2·5–4·2 mm., shorter dimension 2·5–3·2 mm., 2·3–2·8 mm. thick; hilum ± half the longest dimension; aril not developed; testa often with characteristic pattern of rather wavy raised ridges with close parallel riblets between, making the seed rough to the touch.

International Legume Database and Information Service

Conservation

Not Threatened

Ecology

Africa: Cultivated, Zambezian grassland

Morphology General Habit

Annual/Perennial, Climbing/Not climbing, Herb

Vernacular

Amberique, Antandro, Atly Lobya, Bourbour, Bu-me, Chiruppataru, Chiruppayaru, Fagiolo Mungo, Fagiolo Semi Verdi, Fasol Zolotistaya, Fasola Zlota, Golden Gram, Greed Gram, Green Gram, Haricot Dore, Jerusalem-Bohne, Mash, Ma-sha, Mon-sran, Mosh, Mun, Mun-et

M. Thulin. Flora of Somalia, Vol. 1–4 [updated 2008] https://plants.jstor.org/collection/FLOS

Distribution

Somalia. Ancient Indian crop cultivated for its edible seeds at fairly low altitudes throughout the tropics and subtropics.

Morphology General Habit

Annual erect or climbing herb; stem covered with long spreading hairs

Morphology Leaves Leaflets

Leaflets 3, elliptic, rhomboid or ovate, glabrous or pilose on both surfaces

Morphology Leaves Stipules

Stipules peltate, ± ovate

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx-tube glabrous, 3–4 mm long; lobes 1.5–4 mm long, ciliate

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Standard greenish-yellow outside, 1.2 cm long, glabrous; keel incurved

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Pod 40–90 x 5–6 mm, somewhat constricted between the 8–14 seeds, with brown short spreading bristly pubescence

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds greenish, brown or blackish, oblong-cylindrical to globose or cube-like, 2.5–4.2 x 2.5–3.2 x 2.3–2.8 mm; hilum c. half the length of the seed with aril not developed; testa often with characteristic pattern of rather wavy raised ridges with close parallel riblets between, making it minutely rough to the touch.

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/107037076/107037078

Conservation

LC - least concern

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