Dolichos is a genus of flowering plants in the legume family, Fabaceae, and the subfamily Faboideae. It is distributed in Africa and Asia.
The lablab bean (Lablab purpureus) was formerly included in Dolichos.
These are herbs and shrubs growing upright, sometimes with climbing stems, or spreading prostrate upon the ground. They have woody rhizomes. The leaves have single blades or are pinnate, divided into three leaflets. The plants sometimes produce their leaves after flowering. The flowers are solitary or in racemes of several. The flowers are white or purple, or occasionally yellow. The fruit is a flattened legume pod.
The plants' general form, annual stems sprouting from a large perennial rootstock, is thought to be adapted to habitat prone to seasonal wildfire.
Some of the species grow to heights of 30 feet. The average Dolichos is between 5 and 10 feet high.
There are about 60 species.
Species include:
Dolichos aciphyllus
Dolichos angustifolius
Dolichos angustissimus
Dolichos antunesii
Dolichos argyros
Dolichos axilliflorus
Dolichos bellus
Dolichos bianoensis
Dolichos brevidentatus
Dolichos capensis
Dolichos cardiophyllus
Dolichos complanatus
Dolichos compressus
Dolichos corymbosus
Dolichos decumbens
Dolichos dinklagei
Dolichos dongaluta
Dolichos elatus
Dolichos falciformis
Dolichos fangitsa
Dolichos filifoliolus
Dolichos formosanus
Dolichos fragrans
Dolichos glabratus
Dolichos glabrescens
Dolichos grandistipulatus
Dolichos gululu
Dolichos hastiformis
Dolichos homblei
Dolichos ichthyophone
Dolichos junghuhnianus
Dolichos karaviaensis
Dolichos katali
Dolichos kilimandscharicus Taub.
Dolichos linearifolius
Dolichos linearis
Dolichos longipes
Dolichos lualabensis
Dolichos luticola
Dolichos magnificus
Dolichos mendoncae
Dolichos minutiflorus
Dolichos nimbaensis
Dolichos oliveri Schweinf.
Dolichos peglerae
Dolichos petiolatus
Dolichos pratensis
Dolichos pseudocajanus
Dolichos pseudocomplanatus
Dolichos quarrei
Dolichos reptans
Dolichos rhombifolius
Dolichos schweinfurthii
Dolichos sericeus
Dolichos sericophyllus
Dolichos serpens
Dolichos simplicifolius
Dolichos smilacinus
Dolichos splendens
Dolichos staintonii
Dolichos subcapitatus
Dolichos tenuicaulis
Dolichos thorelii
Dolichos tonkouiensis
Dolichos trilobus
Dolichos trinervatus Baker
Dolichos ungoniensis
Dolichos xiphophyllus
Dolichos zovuanyi
