Edible: Leaves, Flowers, Pods, Seeds
An evergreen shrub. It grows to 2.5 m high and spreads to 2 m across. The stem is erect, with silky hairs on the branches. The plant has a strong taproot. The roots have root nodules which have branches and lobes, and are 25 mm across. The leaves are narrow, simple and spirally arranged. The leaves can be 12 cm long and with short leaf stalks. The flowers are bright yellow and pea shaped. They occur in clusters of up to 20 blooms. The fruit is a short, inflated, light yellow pod. It is about 3 cm long and 1 cm wide. It is covered with soft hairs, has a groove on the upper surface and a beak at the end. The mature seeds are loose in the pod. They are dark grey, broad and flattened and hooked.
A tropical plant. It prefers light to medium well drained soils. It needs an open sunny position. It is drought resistant but frost tender. In Nepal it grows to about 1300 m altitude. In Sichuan and Yunnan.
Common Names: Sunhemp, Boru, Bumpo, Ghore sun, Janumu, Kork tong, Oohawaimaton, Pan-paiksan, Pikesan, San, Sana, Sanabu, Sanai, Sanal, Sann hemp, Sannai sunn, Sannappu, Saun, Senabina soppu, Shon, Shonpat, Sunn hemp, Tag, Tum-thang, U Hawai matol, Vihagiguni, Wuckoo nar