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Mucuna pruriens

Authority	(L.) DC.
Family	Magnoliopsida:Rosidae:Fabales:Leguminosae
Synonyms	Dolichos pruriens L., Mucuna cochinchinensis (Lour.) A. Chev., Mucuna esquirolii A. Leveille, Mucuna nivea (Roxb.) DC., Mucuna prurita (L.) Hook., Mucuna prurita Hook., Stizolobium pruritum (Wight) Piper
Common names	alkushi, atmagupta, buffalo bean, cow itch, cow-itch, cowage velvet bean, dulagondi, fogarate, gratey, hell fire bean, itchy bean, Juckbohne, jukboontje, kaunch, kavach, mucuna ceniza, nasugunni, pica pica, pois velu, pois-gratter, punaikkali, velvet bean
Editor
Ecocrop code	7832

Notes
BRIEF DESCRIPTION A vigorous, bushy or ground creeping leguminous vine. It may extend to a length of over 6 m and grown on supports, it may reach as long as 10 m. USES It grown as cover, green manure, or forage crop. It can suppress weeds like speargrass (Imperata cylindrica). It is primarely used in animal feeds and young pods and seeds are eaten as vegetables. Mature seeds can be ground into flour or pached and used as a coffee substitute. KILLING T Young plants may not tolerate 5°C. GROWING PERIOD Annual, growing 90-270 days. Seeds mature in 100-130 days in the United States, and in 210-270 days in the tropics. Grown for forage, the crop may be harvested after 90-120 days. Flowers in the summer and fruits in November-December. COMMON NAMES Velvet bean, Banana stock pea, Dolique de Floride, Fluweelboontjie, Frijol terciopelo, Haba de terciopelo, Haricot veloute, Makhmali sem, Mauritius bean, Ojo de venado, Pois mascate Porto aterciopelado, Stizolobia. FURTHER INF Velvet beans are thought to have originated in southern Asia. It is in the tropics grown at elevations between sea level and 2100 m. It is well adapted to hot and humid climates. There are numerous cultivars of M. pruriens, some of which were formerly treated as separate species. One of these is M. deeringiana. In India seed yield are reported to average between 0.7-1.1 t/ha, yields of hay to average 2.8-3.6 t/ha and yields of fodder 8.2-16.4 t/ha. Yields of seed up to 3.3 t/ha and yields of green fodder up to 20-35 t/ha can be obtained.
Sources
Grassland Index Roecklein J 1987 pp 189 (M. deeringiana) Kay D 1979 pp 390-398 [TEMP, KTMP, RAIN, TEXT, DRA, PH, PHO] Duke J 1981 pp 170-173 319 [DRA, TEXT, KTMP, TEMP, RAIN, PH] Duke J 1975 pp 21 [PH, RAIN, TEMP] Bogdan A 1977 pp 389-390 [TEXT, FER, DRA] Skerman P 1988 pp 353-355 [RAIN, TEXT, PH, TEMP] Martin F 1984 pp 53-55 [TEMP, RAIN, PHO, TEXT, PH, DRA, FER, USE]