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Psophocarpus tetragonolobus
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Family:
FABACEAE/LEGUMINOSAE (Subfam.: Papilionoideae)
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Citation: Psophocarpus tetragonolobus DC., Prodr. 2: 403. 1825; Hook. f., Fl. Brit. India 2: 211. 1876.
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Malayalam Name(s):
Chathurappayar, Irachippayar
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Tamil name(s):
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English name(s):
Winged bean
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Description:
Annual or biennial twininers 2-3 m long, ridged and glabrous. Leaves trifoliate; leaflets generally (broadly) ovate, 8-15 cm x 4-12 cm, entire, acute, with small, 2-parted stipules. Flowers 2-10, in axillary, 5-15 cm long racemes. Calyx campanulate, with 5 short, rounded teeth, green to dark purple. Petals mauve or white, various mixtures of mauve, cream, blue and red; standard 2.5-4 cm long. Stamens diadelphous, (9 + 1). Pods oblong to linear, 7-30 x 2.5-3 cm, more or less square with 4 smooth to serrated wings 0.3-1 cm wide, rough or smooth, yellow-green,; seed 5-20 per pod, subglobose, about 0.6-1 cm long, brown, yellow, dark tan, white, uniform or variously mottled, glabrous, with a small aril.
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Habit:
Climber
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Flowering & Fruiting:
February-October
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District(s):
All Districts
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Medicinal:
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Habitat:
Cultivated
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Distribution:
Native of Papua New Guinea, cultivated elsewhere
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Aquatic:
No
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Epiphyte(s):
No
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Saprophyte:
No
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Stem parasite:
No
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Root parasite:
No
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Flower colour(s):
White, Blue
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Weed:
No
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Monocot/Dicot:
Dicotyledonous Plants
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Exotic:
Yes
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Garden:
No
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Edible:
No
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Vegetable:
Yes
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Endemic to:
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IUCN status:
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Altitude:
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Localities:
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