Mucuna pruriens (L.) DC.
var. pruriens

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Photo: Bart Wursten
Vunduzi River below Bunga Ranger Camp, northwestern Gorongosa National Park.

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Synonyms:	Dolichos pruriens L. Stizolobium pruriens (L.) Medik.
Common names:
Frequency:
Status:	Native
Description:
Notes:	Similar to the well known Buffalo Bean, Mucuna coriacea subsp. irritans. It can be distinguished by generally thinner leaves, longer, pendulous inflorescences, often paler flowers, particularly on the standard and keel, whitish hairs on the stems and calyx and hairless wings on the flowers. The pods do have irritant hairs like Buffalo Bean but generally less vigorously so.
Derivation of specific name:	pruriens: from Latin, itching, referring to the hairs on the pods.
Habitat:	In woodland but mainly along rivers, lake shores and margins of pans, also at the edges of cultivated ground.
Altitude range:	10 - 1140 m
Flowering time:
Worldwide distribution:	Throughout tropical Africa, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, Madagascar, Mauritius, Asia and also in tropical America.
Mozambique distribution:	N,Z,T,MS,GI
Growth form(s):
Endemic status:
Red data list status:
Insects associated with this species:	Antheua simplex (Food plant)
Spot characters:	Display spot characters for this species
Content last updated:	Thursday 23 April 2015
Literature:	Baumann, G. (2005). Photographic Guide to Wildflowers of Malawi Wildlife and Environmental Society of Malawi Pages 40 - 41. (Includes a picture). Drummond, R.B. (1972). A list of Rhodesian Legumes. Kirkia 8(2) Page 224. Mackinder, B. et al. (2001). Papilionoideae Flora Zambesiaca 3(5) Pages 19 - 20. Mapaura, A. & Timberlake, J. (eds) (2004). A checklist of Zimbabwean vascular plants Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 33 Sabonet, Pretoria and Harare Page 50. Phiri, P.S.M. (2005). A Checklist of Zambian Vascular Plants Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 32 Page 62. as Mucuna pruriens

Other sources of information about Mucuna pruriens var. pruriens:

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Flora of Malawi: Mucuna pruriens var. pruriens
Flora of Zambia: Mucuna pruriens var. pruriens
Flora of Zimbabwe: Mucuna pruriens var. pruriens

External websites:

African Plants: A Photo Guide (Senckenberg): Mucuna pruriens
African Plant Database: Mucuna pruriens
BHL (Biodiversity Heritage Library): Mucuna pruriens
EOL (Encyclopedia of Life): Mucuna pruriens
GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility): Mucuna pruriens
Google: Web - Images - Scholar
iNaturalist: Mucuna pruriens
IPNI (International Plant Names Index): Mucuna pruriens
JSTOR Plant Science: Mucuna pruriens
Mansfeld World Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops: Mucuna pruriens
Plants of the World Online: Mucuna pruriens
Tropicos: Mucuna pruriens
Wikipedia: Mucuna pruriens