Zombi pea

From-wikimedia commons

Kingdom-Plantae

Division-Tracheophyta 

Class Magnoliopsida

Order -Fabales   

Family-Fabaceae  

Genus -Vigna

Species-V. vexillata

It is also known as the wild cowpea, is a pantropical, varied, perennial climbing plant that can be found in places like Ethiopia, Nigeria, and Venezuela.

Description

It has robust roots that are fusiform and tuberous. Its stems are typically covered in trichomes, which are silky brown hairs. Its three oval, pointed leaflets have a length of 7.5–15 cm (3.0-5.9 in), with the terminal leaflet being the longest. The leaflets have appressed trichomes on both surfaces and are all a dark green colour. On two- to four-flowered peduncles that are 7.5-30 cm (3.0-11.8 in) long and with a keel that is extended into an uncurved beak, the blooms are 2.5 cm (0.98 in) long and pink, purplish, or yellow. The blossoms have a pleasant smell. The silky, linear, 7.5–9 cm (3.0–3.5 in) long pod is recurved.The stems frequently climb up surfaces and entwine with adjacent plants. It effectively suppresses weeds and has good wet-season growth and seedling vigour. The seed breaks, making it an inadequate standby feed for the dry season. It is flammable and vulnerable to frost. Despite having hair, the plant tastes rather good.

Habitat

Vigna vexillata is a weed that grows well in a variety of environments, primarily grasslands and disturbed places.The plant grows well in India between 1,200 and 1,500 metres (3,900 and 4,900 feet) above sea level in the eastern and north-eastern hills and in the foothills of the Himalayas.It thrives in northern Australia on acidic soils rich in aluminium, where monsoons with 1,250-1,500 mm (49-59 in) of rainfall and a protracted dry season are typical.

Uses

In many places, including Namibia, where it is frequently taken from the wild for local usage, the plant is a highly significant food crop. The plant is now occasionally cultivated for its edible tubers since its uses have expanded outside its natural habitat. Additionally, particularly in deficient soils, it is planted as a ground cover crop and green manure.

You can eat the root either raw or cooked. The flesh of the tubers is creamy, and the skin is soft and easily peeled. They are particularly high in protein and are either boiled or roasted. Young seeds, young pods, and young leaves are also prepared and consumed as vegetables.