atoll research bulletin no. 392 the flora of - Smithsonian Institution ...

and 5 to 7 mm wide, linear-oblong or subcylindrical, slightly curved, inflated, slightly
contracted between the seeds, splitting open along the two sides when mature, green
turning brown; seeds, 2 to 10, up to 7 by 6 by 5 mm, ellipsoidal, brown, with an oblong
hilum and undeveloped rim-aril. Found on beaches and in open sites and waste places
behind beaches; reported by Burges (1935) to be "growing plentifully wherever soil is
fairly heavy and moist, e.g., as at Buada. The natives have always considered that other
plants grew better if near Vigna . . . ." Plant used medicinally; leaves crushed to bathe
young girls' hair and to make adult hair grow long and black; leaves used to cover
earthen oven. 1(30.R), 2, 3(58610), 4(120N), 5(33), 6, 7, 8.
Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp. ssp. sesquipedalis (L.) Verdc. "long bean", "yard-long
bean", "snake bean", asparagus bean", "asparagus pea"
bin ("beanW)(N); te bin ("beanU)(K); tau kok (C)
syns. V. swquipedalis (L.) Fruw. ; Dolichos sesquipedalis L.; Vigna sinensis (L.)
Endl. ex Hassk. var. sesquipedalis (L.) Koern.
Pre-World War I1 introduction. Trop. Africa. Twining, climbing annual herb with
glabrous stems, up to 2 to 4 m high; leaves, pinnately trifoliate; stipules, large, produced
below the base attachment, more or less persistent; leaflets, 5 to 16 cm long and 4 to 11
cm wide, the terminal leaflet with a long petiolule, ovate to rhombic-ovate, acute, entire
or sometimes inconspicuously lobed, the veins sometimes purplish; inflorescence, an
axillary ~on~-~edunculate few-flowered raceme, with flowers in clusters of 3 to 6; the
bracts and bracteoles small, caducous; pedicels, short, shorter or about as long as the
calyx; calyx, campanulate, bilabiate, the two upper lobes completely or partly united, the
lower lip 3-lobed; corolla, much exserted, petals, white or greenish, tinged with yellow,
blue or purple, the standard orbicular with inflexed auricles, the wings slightly shorter
than the standard, the keel petals about as long as the wings or longer, obtuse or beaked,
sometimes incurved, truncate; stamens 10, alternately slightly longer and shorter, the
filaments of 9 connate into a sheath, the vexillary filament free, the anthers uniform;
pods, variable depending on the cultivar, 20 to 100 cm long and 0.3 to 1.1 cm broad,
pendent, linear, subterete, straight or somewhat inturned or twisted, sometimes rather
flaccid, not septate, more or less inflated and sometimes flabby when young, dehiscent,
the style dehiscent; seeds, many, usually 8 to 12 mm long, elongate reniform, variable in
color. Common. Food plant in Chinese gardens at Location and Topside workshops. 5,
6.