Characteristics
A low vine or creeper. The stems are very slender. The leaves have 3 leaflets. Each leaflet is 3 cm long. They are often oval but can vary in shape. The flowers are mauve or pink and about 2.5 cm long. They are pea shaped. The fruit are pods that are flat and 8 cm long. They are covered with silky hairs. It has a tuber or yam from which it re-grows each year.
| Life form |
perennial
|
| Growth form |
herb
|
| Growth support |
climber
|
| Foliage retention |
-
|
| Sexuality |
hermaphrodite
|
| Pollination |
-
|
| Spread |
-
|
| Mature width (meter) |
-
|
| Mature height (meter) |
-
|
| Root system |
-
|
| Rooting depth (meter) |
-
|
| Root diameter (meter) |
-
|
| Flower color |
-
|
| Blooming months |
-
|
| Fruit color |
-
|
| Fruiting months |
-
|
| Nitrogen fixer |
rhizobia
|
| Photosynthetic pathway |
c3
|
Environment
A tropical plant. It grows in open forest. It grows in the wet season and becomes dormant in the dry season. It is very hardy and drought resistant. It needs a well drained soil.
| Light |
-
|
| Soil humidity |
-
|
| Soil texture |
-
|
| Soil acidity |
-
|
| Soil nutriment |
-
|
| Hardiness (USDA) |
|
Usage
The fattened root or yam is roasted then cleaned and softened by crushing. The starch is chewed from amongst the fibres, which are not eaten.
| Uses |
fiber
|
| Edible
|
roots
|
| Therapeutic use
|
-
|
| Human toxicity |
-
|
| Animal toxicity |
-
|
Cultivation
Plants can be grown from seed. Seed need treatment to help them to grow. Plants can be grown from stem cuttings.
| Mode |
seedlings
|
| Germination duration (days) |
-
|
| Germination temperacture (C°) |
-
|
| Germination luminosity |
-
|
| Germination treatment |
-
|
| Minimum temperature (C°) |
-
|
| Optimum temperature (C°) |
-
|
| Size |
-
|
| Vigor |
-
|
| Productivity |
-
|
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