Mucuna pruriens

Common Name: velvetbean

Family: Fabaceae

Common Synonyms: none

USDA Hardiness Zone: 9b-11

Growth Habit: Annual Herb

Origin: Southern China, eastern India.

FISC Category: -

FDACS Listed Noxious Weed: No

Introduction Date: Specimen vouchered in 1896

IFAS Assessment:

• North: OK
• Central: CAUTION
• South: CAUTION

Description

Herbaceous, vigorous annual. Stems twining, extending up to 18 m in length. Leaves large, trifoliate, lateral leaflets conspicuously asymmetrical, 7-15 cm long, 5-12 cm wide, terminal leaflet symmetrical, somewhat smaller. Inflorescence an axillary raceme, up to 32 cm long, many-flowered, flowers pale purple or white. Fruit pods oblong, 4-13 cm long, 1-2 cm wide, usually more or less S-shaped, finely pubescent with white to light brown hairs. In wild forms (var. pruriens rather than var. utilis), hairs contain skin irritation-causing mucunain, cultivated varietes are non-stinging. Pods contain up to 7 oblong-ellipsoid seeds, 1-1.9 cm long, 0.8-1.3 cm wide, 4?6.5 mm thick and of variable colour (black, maroon, creamy, white, grey, beige, brown, and mottled), hilum surrounded by a prominent, cream-coloured aril.

Habitat

Ruderal areas.

Comments

Tropical legume used as a forage/green manure. Hairs on fruit and calyx can cause skin irritation/itchiness. Vouchered Monroe to Palm Beach and Lee Co.

Control Methods

• Manual: Manual: hand pull vines and seedlings.
• Chemical: Foliar (glysophate).
• Biological: NA

Control Notes

NA

References

Tropical Forages Fact Sheet. http:/www.tropicalforages.info/key/forages/media/Htmi/Mucuna_pruriens.htm. Accessed on December 13, 2013.

Dave's Garden. 2013. PlantFiles: Bengal bean, cow itch, Mucuna pruriens.NAhttp://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/75900/. Accessed on December 11, 2013.