Common name: Zombi pea, Wild Mung, Wild cowpea, Halunda (Marathi)
Botanical name: Vigna vexillata Family: Fabaceae (pea family)
Zombi pea is a fairly strong twiner, stems usually clothed with spreading
silky hairs. It resembles a plant somewhere between a Southern pea and a
mung bean. The long trailing vines have narrow pointed bean-like leaves.
Pods and seeds resemble mung beans, and the roots are nodulated. Flowers
pink or purplish, turning yellow, pea-like, 2.5 cm long. Because of
its tuberous roots rather than its pods, the wild mung is held in fairly
high esteem in some parts of the world. In Africa, the roots are eaten
in times of severe hunger. It grows wild in the Himalayas and in the
foothills of India. The tubers are soft, easy to peel, and possess a
creamy, white, tasty interior. They are eaten boiled or raw. Protein
content of the tubers is near the 15% level, which is high compared to
the 1-7% for potatoes and yams.
| Photographed in Govindghat, Uttaranchal. |
Identification credit: Pravin Kawale
|
ative