Pueraria tuberosa (roxb. ex Willd.) Dc.

A herb or shrub. It is a woody twiner or climber. It is hairy. It has long straight tuberous roots. These are like beads and 6-15 cm across and deep in the soil. It looses its leaves during the year. The leaves have 3 leaflets. The leaflets are large. They are 10-20 cm long and have silky hairs when young. The side leaflets have unequal sides. The flowers are pink. They are in long stalks. These can be 15-40 cm long. They appear when the plant is leafless. The petals are 1-1.8 cm across. The pods have 3-6 seeds.

Shrubberies and streamsides, at elevations from 300-2,000 metres. Hill forests, deciduous vegetation, slopes, sides of rocky streams, growing in exposed and eroded areas, covering the ground, bushes and even trees. Altitude: 0-130

The tuberous roots are eaten. Young tender ones are eaten raw and older ones are boiled and eaten. They can also be used to extract starch. The leaves are eaten.

Can be grown by seedlings. Seeds needs soaking.