Vigna unguiculata cylindrica
| Vigna unguiculata | |
| Light: |  |
| Moisture: |  |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Height: | 2' |
| Blooms: | Mid Summer-Early Fall |
| Native to: | |
| Nitrogen Fixer | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Medicinal Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
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Vigna unguiculata cylindrica (common name: jerusalem pea)
Propagation: Pre-soak the seed for 12 hours in warm water and sow in trays in early to mid spring in a greenhouse. Germination should take place within 10 days. Grow the plants on fast and plant them out after the last expected frosts. Consider giving them the protection of a cloche for their first few weeks outdoors to ensure that they do not suffer a check to their growth.
An outdoor sowing in situ in late spring may succeed in a warm summer, though it is much more likely to be a disappointment in Britain.
Cultivation: Requires a very warm sunny position in a moist but well drained soil.
Often cultivated for its edible seed in warm temperate and tropical zones, it is best started off in a greenhouse in Britain and planted out after the last expected frosts. Plants have given reasonable yields for the past 3 years on our trial grounds in Cornwall (1993)[K].
This species has a symbiotic relationship with certain soil bacteria, these bacteria form nodules on the roots and fix atmospheric nitrogen. Some of this nitrogen is utilized by the growing plant but some can also be used by other plants growing nearby[1]. When removing plant remains at the end of the growing season, it is best to only remove the aerial parts of the plant, leaving the roots in the ground to decay and release their nitrogen.
Range: S. Asia.
Edibility: Young seedpods - cooked[2][3]. They are picked whilst the seeds are very immature and then cooked like French beans[4].
Seed - cooked[2][4]. Rich in protein.
Medicinal: The seed is diuretic[5]. It is used to strengthen the stomach[5]. When boiled and eaten as a food it is considered to destroy worms in the stomach[5].
Pollinators: Insects
Soil: Can grow in light and medium soils.
Drainage: Prefers well drained soil.
Seed Ripens: Late Summer-Mid Fall
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Also Known As: V. catjang. Walp. V. cylindrica.
Links
References
- ↑ Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Hedrick, Ulysses. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications, 1972.
- ↑ Kunkel, Günther. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books, 1984.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Facciola, Stephen. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications, 1990.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Chopra, R. Glossary of Indian Medicinal Plants. Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, New Delhi, 1986.