''Vigna vexillata'', the Zombi pea or wild cowpea, is a variable,

perennial A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives more than two years. The term ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the years") is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. The term is also wid ...

climbing plant that is

pantropical A pantropical ("all tropics") distribution is one which covers tropical regions of both hemispheres. Examples of species include caecilians, modern sirenians and the plant genera ''Acacia'' and ''Bacopa''. ''Neotropical'' is a zoogeographic term ...

, found in regions such as

Ethiopia Ethiopia, , om, Itiyoophiyaa, so, Itoobiya, ti, ኢትዮጵያ, Ítiyop'iya, aa, Itiyoppiya officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country in the Horn of Africa. It shares borders with Eritrea to the ...

Nigeria Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...

, and

Venezuela Venezuela (; ), officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela ( es, link=no, República Bolivariana de Venezuela), is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many islands and islets in th ...

Description

''Vigna vexillata'' is a strong twiner with fusiform,

tuberous Tubers are a type of enlarged structure used as storage organs for nutrients in some plants. They are used for the plant's perennation (survival of the winter or dry months), to provide energy and nutrients for regrowth during the next growin ...

roots. Its stems are usually clothed with brownish silky hairs, or trichomes.. Its leaflets come in three, which are oval-shaped and pointed at the tip, with the terminal leaflet being long. The leaflets are all a dark green and with

appressed This glossary of botanical terms is a list of definitions of terms and concepts relevant to botany and plants in general. Terms of plant morphology are included here as well as at the more specific Glossary of plant morphology and Glossary o ...

trichomes on both surfaces. The

flower A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants (plants of the division Angiospermae). The biological function of a flower is to facilitate reproduction, usually by providing a mechani ...

s are pink or purplish to yellow and long, on two- to four-flowered peduncles long, with the

keel The keel is the bottom-most longitudinal structural element on a vessel. On some sailboats, it may have a hydrodynamic and counterbalancing purpose, as well. As the laying down of the keel is the initial step in the construction of a ship, in Br ...

prolonged into an uncurved

beak The beak, bill, or rostrum is an external anatomical structure found mostly in birds, but also in turtles, non-avian dinosaurs and a few mammals. A beak is used for eating, preening, manipulating objects, killing prey, fighting, probing for foo ...

. The flowers are sweetly scented. The pod is recurved,

linear Linearity is the property of a mathematical relationship ('' function'') that can be graphically represented as a straight line. Linearity is closely related to '' proportionality''. Examples in physics include rectilinear motion, the linear ...

, long, and silky. The stems tend to scramble over the ground and twine into the surrounding vegetation. It has good seedling vigor and good wet-season growth, and is effective in weed suppression. The seed shatters and it is not a good standover feed for the dry season. It is susceptible to both frost and fire. Although hairy, the plant is quite

palatable Palatability (or palatableness) is the hedonic reward (i.e., pleasure) provided by foods or fluids that are agreeable to the "palate", which often varies relative to the homeostatic satisfaction of nutritional, water, or energy needs. The palatabi ...

Habitat and ecology

''Vigna vexillata'' thrives in a wide range of conditions, mostly in grasslands and in disturbed areas, as well as a weed. In India, the plant flourishes from in altitude in the foothills of the Himalayas and in the hills of eastern and north-eastern India. In Australia, it grows in the north where monsoons with of rainfall and a long dry season are common, growing on acidic soils rich in aluminum.

Uses

The plant is a very important food crop in several areas, such as

Namibia Namibia (, ), officially the Republic of Namibia, is a country in Southern Africa. Its western border is the Atlantic Ocean. It shares land borders with Zambia and Angola to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south and ea ...

, where it is commonly harvested from the wild for local use. Its use has spread beyond its native range and the plant is now sometimes cultivated for its edible

tuber Tubers are a type of enlarged structure used as storage organs for nutrients in some plants. They are used for the plant's perennation (survival of the winter or dry months), to provide energy and nutrients for regrowth during the next growin ...

s. It is also grown as a green manure and ground cover crop, especially in poor soils. The root is consumed raw or cooked. The tubers have a soft, easily peeled skin and creamy flesh. They are boiled or roasted and are particularly rich in protein. The young leaves, young pods, and seeds are also cooked and eaten as a vegetable.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q15228190 vexillata Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus