Lablab purpureus
Hyacinth Bean
a perennial woody member of the Lablab genus in the family Leguminosae.
Taxonomy and growth
- Family
- Leguminosae
- Genus
- Lablab
- Life cycle
- perennial
- Woodiness
- woody
- Height
- 2 m
- Fertility
- Insects
- Flower type
- hermaphrodite
- Pollinators
- Insects
Uses
Toxicity
Toxicity warning. The historical record reports a hazard for this plant. Do not use it to decide which parts are safe to eat or use medicinally.
This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.
The raw seed is poisonous[19].
Edible uses
This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.
The mature seed is edible as long as it is thoroughly cooked[12][17][18][19][22][6]. It has a mild flavour, is rich in protein and can be used as a staple food. The seed can also be prepared as 'tofu' or be fermented into 'tempeh' in the same way that soya beans are used in Japan[11]. The seed can also be sprouted and eaten raw, when it is comparable to mung bean sprouts[10][11]. A nutritional analysis is available[15]. The tender young seedpods and immature seeds can be eaten raw or cooked. They can be used as a green vegetable like French beans[20][22][2]. They are also used as a curry vegetable[11]. The immature seedpod contains 3.2% protein, 0.8% fat, 5.4% carbohydrate, 0.81% ash. It is rich in vitamin B1[10]. Leaves - they must be cooked[5][10]. They can also be dried for later use[11]. The leaves are used as a greens just like spinach[11]. They contain up to 28% protein[5] (dry weight?). Flowers - raw or cooked in soups and stews[11]. Root - large and starchy[11].
- Plant part
- Flowers
- Plant part
- Leaves
- Plant part
- Root
- Plant part
- Seed
- Plant part
- Seedpod
Medicinal uses
Historical medicinal uses. These records describe reported uses. They do not establish safety or effectiveness. Ask a qualified health professional before using any plant medicinally.
This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.
The plant (though the exact part used is not stipulated) is anticholesterolemic, antidote (to most forms of poison), antivinous, carminative, hypoglycaemic. Prolongs co-agulation time[4][8][9]. It is used in the treatment of cholera, vomiting, diarrhoea, leucorrhoea, gonorrhoea, alcoholic intoxication and globefish poisoning[4]. The flowers are antivinous, alexiteric and carminative[15]. The stem is used in the treatment of cholera[15]. The juice from the pods is used to treat inflamed ears and throats[15]. The seeds are anthelmintic, antispasmodic, aphrodisiac, astringent, digestive, febrifuge and stomachic[15][16].
- Product or use
- Anthelmintic
- Product or use
- Anticholesterolemic
- Product or use
- Antidote
- Product or use
- Antispasmodic
- Product or use
- Antivinous
- Product or use
- Aphrodisiac
- Product or use
- Astringent
- Product or use
- Carminative
- Product or use
- Digestive
- Product or use
- Febrifuge
- Product or use
- Hypoglycaemic
- Product or use
- Miscellany
- Product or use
- Stomachic
Material uses
This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.
Plants are fairly fast growing and the bacteria on the roots enrich the soil with nitrogen. This makes them a good green manure crop, though they are only really suitable for climates warmer than Britain[20][21].
Ecology and functions
- Ecosystem niche
- Climber
Environment
- Range
- Probably originated in the Tropics but has been cultivated for so long that its origins are obscure.
- Habitat
- Not known in a truly wild situation.
- Light
- full sun
- Shade tolerance
- no shade
- Water
- moderate
- Hardiness
- Zone 10+
- Soil textures
- sandy, loamy, clay
- Soil pH
- acid, neutral, alkaline
- Drainage
- well drained
- Tolerances
- drought
- Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
- No
- Drought
- tolerant
Propagation
This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.
Seed - pre-soak for 2 hours in warm water and sow in early spring in a greenhouse in a fairly rich soil[18][7]. Either sow 2 seeds to a pot and thin to the strongest plant, or sow in a tray and prick out into individual pots when the plants are large enough to handle. Grow on fast and plant out after the last expected frosts. The seed germinates in 2 - 4 weeks at 25°c.
Cultivation
This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.
Easily grown in an ordinary garden soil so long as the temperature is sufficient[1]. Succeeds in relatively poor soils so long as they are well-drained[14]. Plants grow best at temperatures between 28 - 30°c though they tolerate mean temperatures as low as 9°c[14]. Prefers a rich moist soil in a warm sheltered position[7]. Prefers a well-drained soil with a high organic matter content and a pH between 5.5 and 6[13]. Some varieties are drought resistant[13]. A perennial species[3], it is not cold-hardy in Britain, though it is occasionally grown as an annual in the ornamental garden[17][18]. It requires a minimum temperature of 7 - 10°c if it is to survive winter conditions[13]. The hyacinth bean is commonly cultivated in warm temperate and tropical climates for its edible seed, there are many named varieties[11][13] varying in height from 60cm to 2 metres. Short-day, long-day and daylength-neutral varieties are available, you should use day-length-neutral or long-day varieties in northern latitudes[13]. Plants are fairly fast-growing, young pods are ready to harvest from 70 - 120 days after sowing[13]. This species has a symbiotic relationship with certain soil bacteria, these bacteria form nodules on the roots and fix atmospheric nitrogen. Some of this nitrogen is utilized by the growing plant but some can also be used by other plants growing nearby[13].
References
F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951-00-00
Chakravarty. H. L. The Plant Wealth of Iraq.
Brouk. B. Plants Consumed by Man. Academic Press 1975-00-00 ISBN 0-12-136450-x
? A Barefoot Doctors Manual. Running Press ISBN 0-914294-92-X
Natural Food Institute, Wonder Crops. 1987.
Hill. A. F. Economic Botany. The Maple Press 1952-00-00
Bird. R. (Editor) Focus on Plants. Volume 5. (formerly 'Growing from seed') Thompson and Morgan. 1991-00-00
Yeung. Him-Che. Handbook of Chinese Herbs and Formulas. Institute of Chinese Medicine, Los Angeles 1985-00-00
Stuart. Rev. G. A. Chinese Materia Medica. Taipei. Southern Materials Centre
Reid. B. E. Famine Foods of the Chiu-Huang Pen-ts'ao. Taipei. Southern Materials Centre 1977-00-00
Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9
Hedrick. U. P. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications 1972-00-00 ISBN 0-486-20459-6
Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Larkcom J. Oriental Vegetables John Murray 1991-00-00 ISBN 0-7195-4781-4
Duke. J. A. and Ayensu. E. S. Medicinal Plants of China Reference Publications, Inc. 1985-00-00 ISBN 0-917256-20-4
Chopra. R. N., Nayar. S. L. and Chopra. I. C. Glossary of Indian Medicinal Plants (Including the Supplement). Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, New Delhi. 1986-00-00
Vilmorin. A. The Vegetable Garden. Ten Speed Press ISBN 0-89815-041-8
Organ. J. Rare Vegetables for Garden and Table. Faber 1960-00-00
Harrison. S. Wallis. M. Masefield. G. The Oxford Book of Food Plants. Oxford University Press 1975-00-00
Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim 1959-00-00
Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable 1974-00-00 ISBN 0094579202
Komarov. V. L. Flora of the USSR. Israel Program for Scientific Translation 1968-00-00