Family: Fabaceae

Common Name: चवळई

Etymology - Genus: Named for Prof. Dominico Vigna, 17th century Italian botanist

Etymology - Species: Claw-like

Ecosystem: Annual

Origin: Native

Location: Garden plant

Description: Seasonal plant, twiner about 2-3 meter long. Young branches are rough, so as to attach itself to any available support.Trifoliate leaf with two filiform stipules and long grooved petiole.Terminal leaflet - rhombic, two lateral leaflets asymmetric, with oblique base. Presence of stipels (secondary stipules) on rachis. First leaves above cotyledons are simple, opposite and deltoid.2-4 flowers are born in clusters on a long peduncle.Purple colour attractive flower.Flower with Papilionaceous corolla with standard, wings and keel (two front petals, united to form a boat-shaped structure). Diadelphus stamen - 9 stamens together in a bundle and one stamen free.Very long pod, more than 30 cm. Pods occur generally in pairs. Plant produce good number of pods during its short life.Seeds when dried are brown in colour with white eye. Seeds are very easy to germinate, with most of the healthy seeds sprout. Very good plant to start with for amateur gardeners.

Root type: Adventitious

Stem Appearance: Twiner

Stem Cross Section: Circular

Stem Texture:

Root-Stem-Bark Description: Seasonal plant, twiner about 2-3 meter long. Young branches are rough, so as to attach itself to any available support.

Leaf - Characters

Attachment: Petiolate

Stipules: Foliaceous

Leaf Type: Trifoliolate

Phyllotaxy: Alternate-Spiral

Leaf Description: Trifoliate leaf with two filiform stipules and long grooved petiole.

Leaflet - Characters

Lamina: Rhombic

Lamina Bases: Obtuse

Lamina Margins: Entire

Lamina Apices: Acute

Lamina Texture: Glabrous

Venation: Reticulate-Unicostate

Leaflet Description: Terminal leaflet - rhombic, two lateral leaflets asymmetric, with oblique base. Presence of stipels (secondary stipules) on rachis. First leaves above cotyledons are simple, opposite and deltoid.

Fruit type: Legume

Fruit type Description: Very long pod, more than 30 cm. Pods occur generally in pairs. Plant produce good number of pods during its short life.

Seed Type: Dicotyledon

Germination type: Epigeal

Dispersion Method:

Preprocessing for germination:

Germination time: Very small

Seed shelf life:

Germination %: Good number of seeds germinate

Seed Description: Seeds when dried are brown in colour with white eye. Seeds are very easy to germinate, with most of the healthy seeds sprout. Very good plant to start with for amateur gardeners.