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Scrambling glabrous, glaucous annual. Tendrils branched; leaflets in 1-3 opposite pairs, ovate to obovate, acute to obtuse, sometimes irregularly and finely serrate, 20-60 mm long; venation pinnate; stipules ovate to elliptic, cordate and toothed at base, usually larger than leaflets, 30-70 mm long. Infl. usually < lvs, 1-3-flowered. Calyx somewhat gibbous at base; calyx teeth ± equal, ovate-triangular, > tube; 2 upper teeth somewhat broader than 3 lower. Corolla white to purplish, 15-25 mm long. Pod brown, 2-10-seeded, c. 40-60 mm long; seeds globose, smooth or rugose; hilum 1/20-1/14 of circumference.
Leaves 2–6(8)-foliolate, the leaflets usually opposite; leaflets 15–70 × 7–40 mm, ovate to elliptical, obtuse to emarginate and sometimes apiculate at the apex, cuneate at the base, entire to dentate; petiole up to 60 mm long; rhachis terminating in a branched prehensile tendril; petiolules 0.5–1 mm long; stipules foliaceous, up to 80 × 40 mm, usually larger than the leaflets, semicordate, semiamplexicaul, dentate towards the base or rarely subentire, glaucous or sometimes with a violet spot at the base.
Corolla white, pinkish or purplish; standard 15–30 × 23–45 mm, with the lamina broadly ovate, emarginate-apiculate, plicate and subappendiculate at the base; wings purplish or whitish, a little shorter than the standard, the lamina orbicular-obovate, abruptly narrowed above the auricles; keel coloured as the standard, much shorter than the wings, subacute at the apex.
Herbs annual, 0.5-2 m tall, glabrous. Stem climbing. Leaves: stipules to 10 × 6 cm, margin toothed; leaflets ovate, 2-7 × 1-4 cm. Raceme 1-3-flowered. Corolla variable in color, usually white and/or purple, 15-35 mm. Ovary glabrous; style flat. Legume 2.5-12 × 1-2.5 cm. Seeds 2-10. Fl. Feb-Sep, fr. Feb-Sep. 2n = 14.
A very polymorphic species, widely cultivated for thousands of years for its edible seeds and for fodder; some varieties and cultivars are also cultivated for their edible fresh pods.
Calyx tube 4–8 mm long, campanulate; lobes as long as or longer than the tube, unequal, lanceolate, acute.
Pod up to 100 × 25 mm, oblong-obovate, abruptly narrowed to both ends, whitish or yellowish when ripe.
Flowers solitary or up to 3 in axillary racemes; peduncle 5–190 mm long.
Climbing annual herb up to 2 m tall (in cultivation), glabrous.
Seeds 6–10 in each pod, globular.
Style c. 7 mm long.
Stems ± terete.
