Macrotyloma geocarpum (Harms) Maréchal & Baudet

A herb. It is an annual plant. The stems lie along the ground and form roots. The stems are 10 cm long. The leaves are alternate and have 3 leaflets. The leaf stalk is erect and 25 cm long. The leaflets are 3-8 cm long by 2-2.5 cm wide. The flowers can be single or in pairs in the axils of leaves. The flowers are greenish white. The fruit are pods 0.5-2.5 cm long by 0.5-1 cm wide. These are forced into the ground as they develop. The pods contain 1 to 3 kidney shaped beans. The seeds are 5-10 mm long by 4-7 mm wide. They can be black, brown or light brown.

A tropical plant. It grows in the drier regions of West Africa. It can grow in arid places.

The seeds are cooked and eaten. They are boiled with salt and eaten with palm oil. They are also boiled in soup. Dried seeds are ground into flour and made into cakes and other dishes. The leaves are also cooked and eaten.

Plants are grown from seeds. Plants are often intercropped.