Vigna marina

Vigna marina is a prostrate, creeping vine and a perennial plant. Also known as the beach pea, nanea, and notched cowpea, it is a species of legume in the family Fabaceae.

Description

A climbing or scrambling herb. It can grow to several metres long. The stems can be hairy. The leaflets are rounded. They are 3.5-9.5 cm long by 2.5-7.5 cm wide. The leaf stalks are 2-11 cm long. The flowering stems are erect. They can be 4-10 cm long. The flower is yellow but often green when young. The flowers are 1.2 cm long. The fruit are narrow pods which are slightly curved. They are 4-6 cm long and 8-9 mm wide. They are constricted between the seeds. There are 2-6 seeds. The seeds are brown or red. They are oblong and 6-7 mm long by 5-6 mm wide.

Edible Uses

The roots are eaten cooked and probably raw. Young leaves are sometimes cooked with other foods. Young pods are cooked as a vegetable. Seeds are boiled and eaten.

Traditional Uses

The roots can be eaten cooked and probably raw. The young leaves are sometimes eaten cooked with other food. The young pods are cooked as a vegetable. The seeds are boiled and eaten.

Medicinal Uses

The plant is used medicinally. The fresh leaves are crushed with lime and water, squeezed and the juice drunk as a remedy for stomach aches. The juice extracted from freshly crushed young leaves is given to children as a treatment for asthma. The leaves are heated over a fire and then used as a poultice on sores.

Distribution

A tropical plant. It occurs just above high tide mark on sandy beaches. It occurs throughout the tropics. It is salt tolerant. It grows on atolls.

Where It Grows

Africa, American Samoa, Asia, Australia, British Indian Ocean Terr., BIOT, Cameroon, Caroline islands, Central Africa, China, Chuuk, East Africa, East Timor, Equatorial Guinea, Fiji, FSM, Gabon, India, Indochina, Indonesia, Hawaii, Japan, Kiribati, Liberia, Maldives, Mariana Islands, Marshall Islands, Mauritius, Micronesia, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nauru, Niue, Norfolk Island, Pacific, Palau, Papua New Guinea, PNG, Philippines, Pohnpei, Puerto Rico, Reunion, Rotuma, Samoa, Sao Tome and Principe, SE Asia, Seychelles, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Southern Africa, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Tanzania, Timor-Leste, Tonga, Tuvalu, USA, Vietnam, West Africa, West Indies, Yap,

Cultivation

Found in coastal areas through much of the tropics, it requires an annual rainfall of at least 500mm annual to survive. The plant is very frost-sensitive. Grows well on wet and poorly drained soils. The plant is obviously salt-tolerant. Plants can flower and produce fruit all year round. This species has a symbiotic relationship with certain soil bacteria; these bacteria form nodules on the roots and fix atmospheric nitrogen. Some of this nitrogen is utilized by the growing plant but some can also be used by other plants growing nearby.

Other Uses

Vigna marina occurs as a natural sand binder on sea shores and coastal sand dunes. It is also cultivated as a cover crop.

Notes

There are about 150 Vigna species. They are mostly in the tropics.

Nutrition

Synonyms

Also Known As

Beach cowpea, Erekogo, Fue sina, Kachang laut, Kodeppayam, Lau fue fue, Lima karal, Markinenjojo, Mekaral, Notched cowpea, Pe-dalet-yaing, Pudalangai, Taut-tul, Te kitoko

References (34)

• Ambasta, S.P. (Ed.), 2000, The Useful Plants of India. CSIR India. p 677
• Borrell, O.W., 1989, An Annotated Checklist of the Flora of Kairiru Island, New Guinea. Marcellin College, Victoria Australia. p 92
• Burkill, H. M., 1985, The useful plants of west tropical Africa, Vol. 3. Kew.
• Burkill, I.H., 1966, A Dictionary of the Economic Products of the Malay Peninsula. Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Vol 2 (I-Z) p 2271
• Cooper, W. and Cooper, W., 2004, Fruits of the Australian Tropical Rainforest. Nokomis Editions, Victoria, Australia. p 218

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