|
Vigna trilobata Walp. |
|
Leguminosae Dolichos trilobatus L.; Phaseolus trilobus (L.) Schreb.; P. trilobus auct., non (L.) Aiton. Phillipesara (India); mukni, jongli-math (Pakistan). An annual or perennial legume. Branches prostrate, diffuse, trailing, glabrous or pubescent. Stipules peltate, sometimes spurred, ovate, 4 to 15 mm long. Leaves trifoliate. Petiole 3.7 to 7.5 cm long. Leaflets 1.2 to 2.5 cm long, usually as wide, generally three lobed, lobes simple, various, oblong obtuse or subacute, glabrous to subglabrous. Inflorescence a few-flowered raceme. Peduncle 8 to 22.5 cm long; bracts deciduous. Bracteoles c. 3 mm long, ovate, below the calyx. Pedicels 2.5 mm long. Calyx 2.5 mm long, glabrous, teeth minute. Corolla yellow, 5 to 6.5 mm long. Pods cylindrical, 2.5 to 5.0 x c. 3 mm, glabrous to sparingly pubescent, 6- to 12-seeded (Ali, 1977; Saldanha and Nicolson, 1976). Native to India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Burma, Afghanistan and the Malay archipelago. It is probably fairly closely related to the moth or mat bean, V. aconitifolia (Jacq.) Marechal, with which it has at times been confused, (e.g. Whyte, Nilsson-Leissner and Trumble, 1953). It has also been suggested as the wild form of V. aconitifolia (Sampson, 1936). One of the outstanding features of this plant is its drought tolerance. One accession (CPI 28928) proved particularly hardy at Biloela, central Queensland, Australia, but the seed shattered readily and was cut by frost (Cameron and Mullaly, 1969).V. trilobata is cultivated in India, Pakistan and the Sudan for short-term pasturage.
|