Rhynchosia cana
(Willd.) DC.
iNaturalist· cc-by
(c) Siddarth Machado, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Siddarth Machado
iNaturalist· cc-by
(c) Siddarth Machado, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Siddarth Machado
iNaturalist· cc-by
(c) Siddarth Machado, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Siddarth Machado
Description
A small shrub. The young branches are hairy. The leaves are compound with leaflets along the stalk and one at the end. The end leaflet is 5 cm long by 2.5 cm wide. The side leaflets are 3 cm long by 1.5 cm wide. The sides are unequal and they are hairy. The flowers are in pairs in the axils of leaves. They are yellow. The pod in 1.5 cm long by 0.7 cm wide. There are 1 or 2 seeds.
Edible Uses
Seeds are taken as food in boiled form, roasted form or in their natural state. The seedpods are around 12mm long and 6mm wide, containing two small seeds.
Distribution
It is a tropical plant. It grows in dry deciduous forest.
Where It Grows
Asia, India, Sri Lanka,
Propagation
Like many species within the family Fabaceae, once they have ripened and dried the seeds of this species may benefit from scarification before sowing in order to speed up and improve germination. This can usually be done by pouring a small amount of nearly boiling water on the seeds (being careful not to cook them!) and then soaking them for 12 - 24 hours in warm water. By this time they should have imbibed moisture and swollen - if they have not, then carefully make a nick in the seedcoat (being careful not to damage the embryo) and soak for a further 12 hours before sowing.
Other Uses
We have seen no specific entry for this species, but all members of this genus have at least some merit for use as a ground cover and in local soil conservation projects.
Production
Plants flower and fruit in December to January in south India.
Synonyms
Also Known As
Kattuthuvarai
References (2)
- Arinathan, V., et al, 2007, Wild edibles used by Palliyars of the western Ghats, Tamil Nadu. Indian Journal of Traditional Knowledge. 6(1) pp 163-168
- Salvi, J. et al, 2016, A review: Underutilized wild edible plants as a potential source of alternative nutrition. International Journal of Botany Studies. Volume 1; Issue 4; May 2016; Page No. 32-36
