Botanical name: Vigna vexillata    Family: Fabaceae (pea family)

Zombi pea is a fairly strong twiner, stems usually clothed with spreading silky hairs. It resembles a plant somewhere between a Southern pea and a mung bean. The long trailing vines have narrow pointed bean-like leaves. Pods and seeds resemble mung beans, and the roots are nodulated. Flowers pink or purplish, turning yellow, pea-like, 2.5 cm long. Because of its tuberous roots rather than its pods, the wild mung is held in fairly high esteem in some parts of the world. In Africa, the roots are eaten in times of severe hunger. It grows wild in the Himalayas and in the foothills of India. The tubers are soft, easy to peel, and possess a creamy, white, tasty interior. They are eaten boiled or raw. Protein content of the tubers is near the 15% level, which is high compared to the 1-7% for potatoes and yams.

Medicinal uses: The whole plant is used in Ayurvedic medicine. Mudgaparni’s initial action is important for the formation of the first tissue that sustains the other tissues. It is effective for joint disorders, arthritis, swellings in joints. As a hemostatic it checks hemorrhaging thus prolongs life in individuals suffering from internal bleeding while building their strength with its nutritive action.

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The flower labeled Zombi Pea is ...