Wednesday, October 05, 2005

virginia plant sightings: purple hyacinth bean

dolichos lablab (lablab purpureus)

i see this lovely flowering bean vine everyday in tashi's school garden. apparently it is easy to grow and attracts butterflies and hummingbirds.

the hyacinth bean is also called lablab, bonavist, chinese flowering, egyptian, pharao, shink, val, wild field, and indian bean

apparently the beans can be toxic if eaten raw and in vast quantities. but if cooked, or if eaten raw when young and green, all should be well. the bean is a common food in india and africa. it is apparently mild to the taste and rich in protein. it can even be prepared as tofu or fermented into tempeh in the same way as soya beans. the immature seedpod contains 3.2% protein, 0.8% fat, 5.4% carbohydrate, 0.81% ash. it is rich in vitamin B1.

the leaves can be cooked, like spinach, or dried for later use. they contain up to 28% protein. flowers can be eaten raw or cooked in stews.

medicinal actions: anthelmintic; anticholesterolemic; antidote; antispasmodic; antivinous; aphrodisiac; astringent; carminative; digestive; febrifuge; hypoglycaemic; stomachic.

the plant prolongs co-agulation time. it is used in the treatment of cholera, vomiting, diarrhoea, leucorrhoea, gonorrhoea, alcoholic intoxication and globefish poisoning.

the flowers are antivinous, alexiteric and carminative.

the stem is used in the treatment of cholera.

the juice from the pods is used to treat inflamed ears and throat.

the seeds are anthelmintic, antispasmodic, aphrodisiac, astringent, digestive, febrifuge and stomachic.

in TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine), the seed is used to strengthen spleen, tonify qi and alter dampness as well as relieve and remove summer heat. it is commonly found in several Chinese patent medicines. it also has a history of food and forage use for both humans and animals.

it's great for your garden as it will enrich your soil w/ nitrogen.

find most of this information and more on this website.

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