Edible : Seeds, Leaves, Pods, Sprouted Seeds, Vegetable,
A herb. It is a climbing bean plant with a slender hairy vine. It is twining and an annual plant. It grows from seed each year. It grows to 1.5-3 m long. Stems are hairy. Leaves have 3 leaflets which can vary in shape. They are mostly oval and 3-13 cm long by 1.5-7 cm wide. They taper towards the tip and are rounded at the base. Usually they are hairy. The leaf stalks are 3-16 cm long. Flowers are about 1.5 cm long in dense cone shaped clusters. These flowering stalks can be 3-10 cm long. The flowers are yellow. The fruit are straight pods about 10 cm long and 5 mm wide. Seeds are small (5-8 mm long) and yellow to brown. The pods split open easily. The seeds can be yellow, green, brown, red, black or mottled.
A tropical plant. It grows from 0-1800 m altitude in the tropics. It suits wet climates. It occasionally becomes self sown in coastal grasslands. It needs a sunny protected position. They are drought and frost tender. It can grow in arid places.
Common names : Rice bean, Climbing-mountain-bean, Beli, Be-nauk, Be-pwe, Be-sang, Be-te, Be-tyel, Dau-gao, Dau nhonhe, Frijol de arroz, Ghurush, Gurounsk, Haricot riz, Kachang enjing, Kachang ruji, Kachang sepalit, Kachang uchi, Katjang otji, Mambi-bean, Masyan, Masyang ko dal, Mugi tasud, Ning krung-shapre, Oriental-bean, Pau maia, Pe-nauk-saung, Pe-yin, Red bean, Reisbohne, Rumbaiya, Sanndaek angkat miehs, Shima tsuru azuki, Sita mas, Sutri, Tua deng, Tua pe, Tua pi,
Synonyms :
Azukia umbellata (Thunb.) Ohwi;
Dolichos umbellatus Thunb.;
Phaseolus calcaratus Roxb.;
Phaseolus ricciardus Ten.;
Vigna calcarata (Roxb.) Kurz;
Vigna papuana Bak.f.;
Vigna ricciardiana
Delandia umbellata (Thunberg) S. Y. Hu;
and others