Common name: Indian Bean
Lablab purpureus (L.) Sweet APNI* Description: Annual or short-lived perennial twiner with stems to 5(-10) m long.
Leaves 3-foliolate; leaflets ovate to rhombic, 5–15 cm long, 4–15 cm wide, ± glabrous to softly hairy, lower surface paler; petiole 8–12 cm long; petiolules 25–30 mm long; stipules lanceolate, 4–5 mm long; stipels c. 4 mm long.
Racemes to c. 30 cm long including peduncle; pedicels ± square, c. 3 mm long. Calyx c. 6 mm long. Corolla 16–20 mm long, white, pink, red or purple.
Pod flat or inflated, 50–200 mm long, 10–50 mm wide, strigose; seeds 3–6, 5–12 mm long, commonly, white. light brown, or purplish, hilum linear, white.
Flowering: summer
Distribution and occurrence: Cultivated as a crop plant for its high protein seeds, occasionally naturalized. Native of sub-Saharan Africa.
NSW subdivisions: *CC, *NC, *NWS, *LHI
Other Australian states: *Qld *W.A.
Text by R.L. Barrett, March 2025
Taxon concept:
APNI* Provides a link to the Australian Plant Name Index (hosted by the Australian National Botanic Gardens) for comprehensive bibliographic data
***The AVH map option provides a detailed interactive Australia wide distribution map drawn from collections held by all major Australian herbaria participating in the Australian Virtual Herbarium project.
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