Eriosema cordifolium Hochst. ex A.Rich.

Trailing perennial herb, with a single branched stem 7–15(–30) cm. long, from a tuberous rootstock 3 cm. long and 1·2 cm. wide.. Stems slender with deflexed white hairs of two sizes.. Leaves 1-foliolate; leaflet ovate to broadly ovate-lanceolate, 1·5–7 cm. long, 1–2·8 cm. wide, subacute to acute at the apex, cordate, hairy, often sparsely so above, glabrescent, or pubescent on nerves beneath, with scattered yellow glands, margins ciliate; venation raised beneath; petiole obsolete; petiolule 2·5 mm. long, bristly pilose; stipules greenish, ovate-lanceolate to lanceolate, 4–8 mm. long, 2–2·5 mm. wide, hairy, veined.. Racemes terminal and axillary, the flowering part 1–2·5 cm. long, 1·2 cm. wide; peduncle 0·5–1·5 cm. long, covered with a mixture of upwardly directed or spreading short and long hairs; pedicels 0·5 mm. long; bracts deciduous, linear-lanceolate, (3–)5–6 mm. long, 0·5–0·8 mm. wide, ciliate.. Calyx with short hairs, glands and spreading bristly longer yellow or white hairs, 3–4·5 mm. long; lobes lanceolate, ± twice as long as the tube.. Standard black or chocolate, narrowly oblong or oblong-obovate, 5–6 mm. long, 2–3 mm. wide, very sparsely pubescent or almost glabrous and with scattered glands; wings and keel yellow.. Pods oblong, 6–6·5 mm. long, 4·5 mm. wide, puberulous and with long, white or ferruginous hairs ±1·5 mm. long and scattered glands.. Seeds not seen.

It is a tropical plant. It grows in grassy savannah in upland situations in West Africa. In Central Africa it grows between 1,500-1,800 m above sea level.

The tuberous root stock is peeled and eaten raw.

Can be grown by seedlings. Seeds needs soaking.