Vigna luteola is widely known in North America by the common names hairy cowpeaorhairypod cowpea. This common name is derived from the Chickasawwaakimbala, which translates literally to "cow bean".
The vine also has a variety of other common names in South America and the Caribbean. In Cuba the plant is known as frijol cimarrón, Spanish for "wild bean", in Venezuela the plant is known as bajuco marullero, and in the Bahamas the plant is known as yellow vigna.[3]
Vigna luteola is a hairy, short-lived perennial vine that occurs in moist soil and grows in either a spreadingorclimbing fashion. Its leaves are trifoliate, meaning they are a compound leaf of three leaflets. The leaflets are oval shaped and become acute at their apex. The leaflets are 2.5–10 cm (0.98–3.94 in) long, and 1.5–5 cm (0.59–1.97 in) wide. It has numerous yellow flowers that are 1.8–2.2 cm (0.71–0.87 in) long and are made of one large standard petal, two lateralwing petals, and two lower keel petals. This creates bilateral symmetry in the flower.[4] It has thin, pubescentpods that are up to 5 cm (2.0 in) long and 5–6 mm (0.20–0.24 in) wide. The pods are range from green to brown or black. The pods contain numerous large black seeds, and the pod twists spirally when the seeds are dispersed.[5]
Vigna luteola was first classified as Dolichos luteolus in 1771 by Nicholas von Jacquin, naming it from plants he cultivated in Vienna. In 1859, it was moved to the genus VignabyGeorge Bentham, classifying it as Vigna luteola.[3] The name Luteola is derived from the Latin luteus, meaning "yellow", in reference to the plant's yellow flowers.[7]
Vigna luteola can be found in tropical areas on many continents. Formerly native to the New World, the plant was brought into cultivation in Ethiopia and is now spread around the world.[3]
It grows in swampy grasslands, on sandy lake shores, on stream sides, in wet pastures, in swamps, and in swamp forests.[6] It prefers moist to wet clay soils, and will tolerate a wide range of salinities, from 0-10 ppt.[8]
Vigna luteola is most often considered a weed for crops due to its abundance.[13] However, the plant is palatable for livestock and grows well in friable and slightly saline soils, meaning it is used as a pasture plant and as a ground cover in many countries, such as Ghana, Zambia, and Australia.[14] However, its short lifespan and vulnerability to insects and frost can make it ineffective.[6]
^Umberto Quattrocchi (2012). CRC World Dictionary of Medicinal and Poisonous Plants: Common Names, Scientific Names, Eponyms, Synonyms, and Etymology. CRC Press/Taylor & Francis. ISBN9781439895702.
^Shmida, Avi (2005). MAPA's Dictionary of Plants and Flowers in Israel (in Hebrew). Tel-Aviv: MAPA. p. 174. OCLC716569354.
^Conley K. McMullen (1999) Flowering Plants of the GalápagosISBN9780801486210
^P. J. Skerman (1982) Les legumineuses fourrageres tropicales
^ abcG. J. H. Grubben (2004) Plant Resources of Tropical Africa: VegetablesISBN9789057821479
^ abcRoger L. Hammer (2016) Central Florida Wildflowers: A Field Guide to Wildflowers of the Lake Wales Ridge, Ocala National Forest, Disney Wilderness Preserve, and More than 60 State Parks and PreservesISBN9781493022151
^ abcLloyd-Reilley, John (1 October 2003). "WILD COWPEA"(PDF). plants.usda.gov. USDA. Retrieved 11 January 2018.
^Ib Friis, Kaj Vollesen (1998) Flora of the Sudan-Uganda Border Area East of the NileISBN9788773042977
^Mohar Singh, Ishwari Singh Bisht, Manoranjan Dutta Broadening the Genetic Base of Grain LegumesISBN9788132220237
^Michael F. Braby (2000) Butterflies of Australia: Their Identification, Biology and DistributionISBN9780643102927
^Alicia B. Pomilio and Enrique M. Zallocch (1989). "Two New Kaempferol Isorhamninosides from Vigna luteola". Journal of Natural Products. 52 (3) (3 ed.): 511–515. doi:10.1021/np50063a008.
^International Association of Research Scholars and Fellows Symposium (1998). International Association of Research Scholars and Fellows: Symposium Proceedings, 1995, 1996, 1997. IITA. p. 118. ISBN9789781311505.
