“Hyacinth bean”

Scientific name “Lablab purpureus.” See a photo of the seed pods I shot a year ago: http://phytoimages.siu.edu/imgs/paraman1/r/Fabaceae_Lablab_purpureus_77883.html

From Missouri Botanical Garden: “Hyacinth bean is an ornamental twining vine with handsome, purple-tinged, trifoliate leaves. It rapidly grows to 20' and will easily cover a trellis in a single season. Spikes of fragrant pea-like bright rose-purple flowers (sometimes white or pink) are followed in late summer by flat, glossy, ruby-purple seed pods (to 6” long). Young immature pods can be cooked and eaten. These plants are widely grown in northern Africa and parts of Asia as a vegetable crop for the flowers, leaves, immature seeds and edible pods. Mature, dried seeds are toxic due to high levels of cyanogenic glucosides and should be boiled in two changes of water before eating to remove the toxins. Given a sunny location, it will bloom continuously throughout the summer” — http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?kempercode=a114

Species page at PhytoImages, http://phytoimages.siu.edu/cgi-bin/dol/dol_terminal.pl?taxon_name=Lablab_purpureus&rank=binomial

Photo taken at SIUC Plant Biology Greenhouse, http://www.plantbiology.siu.edu/facilities/plant-biology-facilities/greenhouse/index.php

1 year ago (“Leaving work…”): http://365project.org/rhoing/365/2013-12-11
2 years ago (“Optical distortions”): http://365project.org/rhoing/365/2012-12-11
3 years ago (“Rowing off into the sunset”): http://365project.org/rhoing/365/2011-12-11

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11th December 2014 11th Dec 14