Practical
Plants

Psophocarpus tetragonolobus

Winged Bean

a perennial member of the Psophocarpus genus in the family Leguminosae.

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Taxonomy and growth

Life cycle
perennial
Height
2 m
Fertility
Insects
Flower type
hermaphrodite
Pollinators
Insects

Uses

Edible uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Young seedpods - cooked for a few minutes[4][7][8][1]. They tastes like French beans (Phaseolus vulgaris)[3]. The pods are harvested when about 15 - 20 cm long and 2cm wide[5]. They will store for up to 21 days at 10°c with a relative humidity of 90%[5]. The yields of pods average 250 - 500g per m²[5]. Immature seeds are used in soups etc[3]. Mature seeds are eaten cooked[4][7][8][1]. They are very nutritious, being rich in oil (up to 17%)[2], protein, vitamin E and calcium. The seed can also be roasted and eaten like peanuts or fermented and used as tempeh[3]. An edible oil is obtained from the seed[3]. Root - raw or cooked like potatoes[2][3]. Slightly sweet, it contains 20% or more protein, which is about 12 times that of potatoes[1][3]. Leaves and young shoots - cooked. They are used like spinach[8][1][3]. Flowers and flower buds - raw or cooked[3]. They have a flavour similar to mushrooms when sautéed[1]. The light blue flowers are also used as a colouring in foods[3]. The roasted seed is a coffee substitute[3].

Product or use
Coffee
Product or use
Colouring
Product or use
Oil
Plant part
Flowers
Plant part
Leaves
Plant part
Root
Plant part
Seed
Plant part
Seedpod
Plant part
Stem

Material uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

A very good green manure with exceptional nitrogen-fixing properties, producing a greater weight of nodules per plant than any other member of the Leguminosae[5]. It is used for soil improvement and restoration[5].

Product or use
Oil

Ecology and functions

Green manure

Soil builder

Nitrogen fixer

Environment

Range
Original habitat is obscure.
Habitat
Not known in the wild.
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
no shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 10+
Soil textures
sandy, loamy, clay, heavy clay
Soil pH
acid, neutral, alkaline
Drainage
well drained
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
intolerant

Propagation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Pre-soak the seed for 12 hours in warm water and sow in early spring in a warm greenhouse. Place two or three seeds in each pot, thinning to the strongest plant. Plant them out in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts and give them the protection of a cloche or cold frame until they are growing away strongly[6].

Cultivation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Prefers a loamy slightly acidic soil, but there are cultivars suitable for many soil types[5]. Tolerates heavy soils[1] but dislikes wet soils[5]. Dislikes drought[5]. Very widely cultivated as a food plant in the tropics and sub-tropics, there are many named varieties[3]. It is usually treated as an annual. In temperate zones it has to be grown as an annual crop. Most varieties will only flower when daylight hours are around 12 per day[1] but day-neutral varieties are being developed that will flower in the summer in northerly and southerly latitudes[5]. Temperatures in the range of 25 - 30°c are necessary for optimum growth[5]. Plants take 60 - 80 days from sowing to the first harvest of seedpods[5]. Mature tubers can be harvested 120 - 240 days from sowing[5]. The plant is very disease resistant[2]. 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[5].

References

  1. Brooklyn Botanic Garden Oriental Herbs and Vegetables, Vol 39 No. 2. Brooklyn Botanic Garden 1986-00-00

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5↩6↩7

  2. Natural Food Institute, Wonder Crops. 1987.

    ↩1↩2↩3

  3. Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5↩6↩7↩8↩9↩10↩11

  4. Hedrick. U. P. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications 1972-00-00 ISBN 0-486-20459-6

    ↩1↩2

  5. Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5↩6↩7↩8↩9↩10↩11↩12↩13

  6. 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

    ↩

  7. Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim 1959-00-00

    ↩1↩2

  8. Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable 1974-00-00 ISBN 0094579202

    ↩1↩2↩3

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