Mucuna
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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 Flowers of Mucuna gigantea
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Mucuna argyrophylla
Mucuna gigantea Mucuna killipiana Mucuna melanocarpa |
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| Ref: ILDIS Version 6.05 |
Mucuna is a genus of 33 accepted species of climbing vines and shrubs of the family Fabaceae, found worldwide in the woodlands of tropical areas. The leaves are 3-palmate, alternate or spiraled, and the flowers are pea-like but larger, with distinctive curved petals, and occurring in racemes.
Mucuna species are generally bat-pollinated and produce seeds that are said to look like the eyes of a bull or deer, which gives them common names such as "deer eye," amongst others. Like other legumes, Mucuna plants bear pods. They are tropical climbing vines with pea-like flowers.
The pods of some species are covered in coarse hairs that cause itchy blisters when they come in contact with skin. Other parts of the plant have medicinal properties. The roots have historically been used for a number of health complaints, from constipation to elephantiasis.
Several species, such as the New Guinea creeper and Mucuna pruriens have brought into cultivation, although at temperatures below about 10 °C they need to be grown indoors. It is of some interest as a cover crop for tropical areas, and is a food crop in eastern Nigeria, although L-dopa content makes it less desirable. There is interest in developing Mucuna species as a sustainable, edible cover crop. The plant must be processed before it can be eaten; for example, the leaves must be soaked to leach out the L-dopa. The seeds are also cracked open and soaked before they are eaten.
Several Mucuna species are used as a food plant by caterpillars of the Morpho butterfly of Central and South America.
[edit] References
- Bat-Pollinated Mucuna Flowers
- Mucuna Herb - Nervine Tonic
- "Processing the Mucuna for Human Food in the Republic of Guinea." Tropical and Subtropical Agroecosystems. 1 Oct. 2002. Department of extension and Rural Developement. 2 Dec. 2006
- New Crop Fact Sheet
