''Vigna'' is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial n ...

of plants in the legume family, Fabaceae, with a

pantropical A pantropical ("all tropics") distribution is one which covers tropical regions of both hemispheres. Examples of species include caecilians, modern sirenians and the plant genera ''Acacia'' and '' Bacopa''. '' Neotropical'' is a zoogeographic t ...

distribution.Aitawade, M. M., et al. (2012)
Section ''Ceratotropis'' of subgenus ''Ceratotropis'' of ''Vigna'' (Leguminosae–Papilionoideae) in India with a new species from northern Western Ghats.
''Rheedea'' 22(1), 20-27. It includes some well-known cultivated species, including many types of

bean A bean is the seed of several plants in the family Fabaceae, which are used as vegetables for human or animal food. They can be cooked in many different ways, including boiling, frying, and baking, and are used in many traditional dishes t ...

s. Some are former members of the genus ''

Phaseolus ''Phaseolus'' (bean, wild bean) is a genus of herbaceous to woody annual and perennial vines in the family Fabaceae containing about 70 plant species, all native to the Americas, primarily Mesoamerica. It is one of the most economically import ...

''. According to ''Hortus Third'', ''Vigna'' differs from ''Phaseolus'' in

biochemistry Biochemistry or biological chemistry is the study of chemical processes within and relating to living organisms. A sub-discipline of both chemistry and biology, biochemistry may be divided into three fields: structural biology, enzymology ...

and

pollen Pollen is a powdery substance produced by seed plants. It consists of pollen grains (highly reduced microgametophytes), which produce male gametes (sperm cells). Pollen grains have a hard coat made of sporopollenin that protects the gametop ...

structure, and in details of the

style Style is a manner of doing or presenting things and may refer to: * Architectural style, the features that make a building or structure historically identifiable * Design, the process of creating something * Fashion, a prevailing mode of clothing ...

and

stipule In botany, a stipule is an outgrowth typically borne on both sides (sometimes on just one side) of the base of a leafstalk (the petiole). Stipules are considered part of the anatomy of the leaf of a typical flowering plant, although in many speci ...

s. ''Vigna'' is also commonly confused with the genus '' Dolichos'', but the two differ in stigma structure. ''Vigna'' are herbs or occasionally

subshrubs A subshrub (Latin ''suffrutex'') or dwarf shrub is a short shrub, and is a woody plant. Prostrate shrub is a related term. "Subshrub" is often used interchangeably with "bush".Jackson, Benjamin, Daydon; A Glossary of Botanic Terms with their De ...

. The leaves are

pinnate Pinnation (also called pennation) is the arrangement of feather-like or multi-divided features arising from both sides of a common axis. Pinnation occurs in biological morphology, in crystals, such as some forms of ice or metal crystals, an ...

, divided into 3 leaflets. The

inflorescence An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Morphologically, it is the modified part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed ...

is a

raceme A raceme ( or ) or racemoid is an unbranched, indeterminate type of inflorescence bearing flowers having short floral stalks along the shoots that bear the flowers. The oldest flowers grow close to the base and new flowers are produced as the sh ...

of yellow, blue, or purple pea flowers. The fruit is a legume pod of varying shape containing seeds.''Vigna''.
Flora of China. Familiar food species include the

adzuki bean ''Vigna angularis'', also known as the adzuki bean , azuki bean, aduki bean, red bean, or red mung bean, is an annual vine widely cultivated throughout East Asia for its small (approximately long) bean. The cultivars most familiar in East Asia ...

(''V. angularis''), the

black gram ''Vigna mungo'', also known as black gram, urad bean, urid bean, mash kalai, uzhunnu parippu, ulundu paruppu, minapa pappu, uddu, or black matpe, is a bean grown in South Asia. Like its relative, the mung bean, it has been reclassified from the ...

(''V. mungo''), the

cowpea The cowpea (''Vigna unguiculata'') is an annual herbaceous legume from the genus '' Vigna''. Its tolerance for sandy soil and low rainfall have made it an important crop in the semiarid regions across Africa and Asia. It requires very few i ...

(''V. unguiculata'', including the variety known as the black-eyed pea), and the mung bean (''V. radiata''). Each of these may be used as a whole bean, a bean paste, or as

bean sprout Sprouting is the natural process by which seeds or spores germinate and put out shoots, and already established plants produce new leaves or buds, or other structures experience further growth. In the field of nutrition, the term signifies ...

s. The genus is named after

Domenico Vigna Domenico is an Italian given name for males and may refer to: People * Domenico Alfani, Italian painter * Domenico Allegri, Italian composer * Domenico Alvaro, Italian mobster * Domenico Ambrogi, Italian painter * Domenico Auria, Italian arc ...

, a seventeenth-century

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...

botanist and director of the

Orto botanico di Pisa The Orto botanico di Pisa, also known as the Orto Botanico dell'Università di Pisa, is a botanical garden operated by the University of Pisa, and located at via Luca Ghini 5, Pisa, Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republi ...

Uses

Root tubers of ''Vigna'' species have traditionally been used as food for Aborigines of the

Northern Territory The Northern Territory (commonly abbreviated as NT; formally the Northern Territory of Australia) is an Australian territory in the central and central northern regions of Australia. The Northern Territory shares its borders with Western Au ...

. NTFlora Northern Territory Flora online:
''Flora of the Darwin Region: Fabaceae.''
Retrieved 10 June 2018

Selected species

The genus ''Vigna'' contains at least 90 species, including:

Subgenus ''Ceratotropis''

*''

Vigna aconitifolia ''Vigna aconitifolia'' is a drought-resistant legume, commonly grown in arid and semi-arid regions of India. It is commonly called mat bean, moth bean, matki or dew bean. The pods, sprouts and protein-rich seeds of this crop are commonly consu ...

'' (Jacq.) Maréchal—moth bean, mat bean, Turkish gram *''

Vigna angularis ''Vigna angularis'', also known as the adzuki bean , azuki bean, aduki bean, red bean, or red mung bean, is an annual vine widely cultivated throughout East Asia for its small (approximately long) bean. The cultivars most familiar in East Asia ...

'' (Willd.) Ohwi & H. Ohashi—adzuki bean, red bean **''Vigna angularis'' var. ''angularis'' (Willd.) Ohwi & H. Ohashi **''Vigna angularis'' var. ''nipponensis'' (Ohwi) Ohwi & H. Ohashi *'' Vigna glabrescens'' Maréchal ''et al''. *'' Vigna grandiflora'' (Prain) Tateishi & Maxted *'' Vigna hirtella'' Ridley *'' Vigna minima'' (Roxb.) Ohwi & H. Ohashi *''

Vigna mungo ''Vigna mungo'', also known as black gram, urad bean, urid bean, mash kalai, uzhunnu parippu, ulundu paruppu, minapa pappu, uddu, or black matpe, is a bean grown in South Asia. Like its relative, the mung bean, it has been reclassified from the ...

'' (L.) Hepper—black gram, black lentil, white lentil, urd-bean, urad bean **''Vigna mungo'' var. ''silvestris'' Lukoki, Maréchal & Otoul *''

Vigna nakashimae ''Vigna'' is a genus of plants in the legume family, Fabaceae, with a pantropical distribution.Aitawade, M. M., et al. (2012)Section ''Ceratotropis'' of subgenus ''Ceratotropis'' of ''Vigna'' (Leguminosae–Papilionoideae) in India with a new ...

'' (Ohwi) Ohwi & H. Ohashi *''

Vigna nepalensis ''Vigna'' is a genus of plants in the legume family, Fabaceae, with a pantropical distribution.Aitawade, M. M., et al. (2012)Section ''Ceratotropis'' of subgenus ''Ceratotropis'' of ''Vigna'' (Leguminosae–Papilionoideae) in India with a new ...

'' Tateishi & Maxted *''

Vigna radiata The mung bean (''Vigna radiata''), alternatively known as the green gram, maash ( fa, ماش٫ )٫ mūng (), monggo, or munggo (Philippines), is a plant species in the legume family.Brief Introduction of Mung Bean. Vigna Radiata Extract Gr ...

'' (L.) Wilczek—mung bean, green gram, golden gram, mash bean, green soy, celera-bean, Jerusalem-pea **''Vigna radiata'' var. ''radiata'' (L.) Wilczek **''Vigna radiata'' var. ''sublobata'' (Roxb.) Verdc. *'' Vigna reflexopilosa'' Hayata—Creole-bean **''Vigna reflexopilosa'' var. ''reflexopilosa'' Hayata **''Vigna reflexopilosa'' var. ''glabra'' Tomooka & Maxted *'' Vigna riukiuensis'' (Ohwi) Ohwi & H. Ohashi *''

Vigna stipulacea ''Vigna'' is a genus of plants in the legume family, Fabaceae, with a pantropical distribution.Aitawade, M. M., et al. (2012)Section ''Ceratotropis'' of subgenus ''Ceratotropis'' of ''Vigna'' (Leguminosae–Papilionoideae) in India with a new ...

'' Kuntze *'' Vigna subramaniana'' (Babu ex Raizada) M. Sharma *'' Vigna tenuicaulis'' N. Tomooka & Maxted *'' Vigna trilobata'' (L.) Verdc.—jungle mat bean, jungli-bean, African gram, three-lobe-leaved cowpea *'' Vigna trinervia'' (Heyne ex Wall.) Tateishi & Maxted *'' Vigna umbellata'' (Thunb.) Ohwi & H. Ohashi—ricebean, red bean, climbing mountain-bean, mambi bean, Oriental-bean

Subgenus ''Haydonia''

*'' Vigna monophylla'' Taub. *'' Vigna nigritia'' Hook. f. *'' Vigna schimperi'' Baker *''

Vigna triphylla ''Vigna'' is a genus of plants in the legume family, Fabaceae, with a pantropical distribution.Aitawade, M. M., et al. (2012)Section ''Ceratotropis'' of subgenus ''Ceratotropis'' of ''Vigna'' (Leguminosae–Papilionoideae) in India with a new ...

'' (R. Wilczek) Verdc.

Subgenus ''Lasiospron''

*'' Vigna diffusa'' (Scott-Elliot) A. Delgado & Verdc. *''

Vigna juruana ''Vigna'' is a genus of plants in the legume family, Fabaceae, with a pantropical distribution.Aitawade, M. M., et al. (2012)Section ''Ceratotropis'' of subgenus ''Ceratotropis'' of ''Vigna'' (Leguminosae–Papilionoideae) in India with a new ...

'' (Harms) Verdc. *'' Vigna lasiocarpa'' (Mart. ex Benth.) Verdc. *'' Vigna longifolia'' (Benth.) Verdc. *''

Vigna schottii ''Vigna'' is a genus of plants in the legume family, Fabaceae, with a pantropical distribution.Aitawade, M. M., et al. (2012)Section ''Ceratotropis'' of subgenus ''Ceratotropis'' of ''Vigna'' (Leguminosae–Papilionoideae) in India with a new ...

'' (Bentham) A. Delgado & Verdc. *'' Vigna trichocarpa'' (C. Wright ex Sauvalle) A. Delgado *'' Vigna vexillata'' (L.) A. Rich.—zombi pea, wild cowpea **''

Vigna vexillata var. angustifolia ''Vigna vexillata'' var. ''angustifolia'', known as the wild cow pea is a small climbing plant. A variety of the widespread tropical plant ''Vigna vexillata'', found in Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is ...

'' **''Vigna vexillata'' var. ''youngiana''

Subgenus ''Vigna''

*'' Vigna ambacensis'' Welw. ex Bak. *''

Vigna angivensis ''Vigna'' is a genus of plants in the legume family, Fabaceae, with a pantropical distribution.Aitawade, M. M., et al. (2012)Section ''Ceratotropis'' of subgenus ''Ceratotropis'' of ''Vigna'' (Leguminosae–Papilionoideae) in India with a new ...

'' Baker *'' Vigna filicaulis'' Hepper *''

Vigna friesiorum ''Vigna'' is a genus of plants in the legume family, Fabaceae, with a pantropical distribution.Aitawade, M. M., et al. (2012)Section ''Ceratotropis'' of subgenus ''Ceratotropis'' of ''Vigna'' (Leguminosae–Papilionoideae) in India with a new ...

'' Harms *''

Vigna gazensis ''Vigna'' is a genus of plants in the legume family, Fabaceae, with a pantropical distribution.Aitawade, M. M., et al. (2012)Section ''Ceratotropis'' of subgenus ''Ceratotropis'' of ''Vigna'' (Leguminosae–Papilionoideae) in India with a new ...

'' Baker f. *''

Vigna hosei ''Vigna hosei'', also known as the sarowak bean, is a perennial legume that grows in low-lying, humid, tropical areas but more commonly disturbed or roadside areas. Description ''Vigna hosei'' is a twining or creeping legume, often forming a t ...

'' (Craib) Backer—Sarowak/sarawak bean *'' Vigna luteola'' (Jacq.) Benth.—Dalrymple vigna *'' Vigna membranacea'' A. Rich. **''Vigna membranacea'' subsp. ''caesia'' (Chiov.) Verdc. **''Vigna membranacea'' subsp. ''membranacea'' A. Rich. *'' Vigna monantha'' Thulin *''

Vigna racemosa ''Vigna'' is a genus of plants in the legume family, Fabaceae, with a pantropical distribution.Aitawade, M. M., et al. (2012)Section ''Ceratotropis'' of subgenus ''Ceratotropis'' of ''Vigna'' (Leguminosae–Papilionoideae) in India with a ne ...

'' (G. Don) Hutch. & Dalziel *''

Vigna subterranea ''Vigna subterranea'' (common names: Bambara groundnut, Bambara nut, Bambara bean, Congo goober, earth pea, ground-bean, or hog-peanut) is a member of the family Fabaceae. Its name is derived from the Bambara tribe, who currently lives in Mali. T ...

'' (L.) Verdc.—Bambara groundnut, Congo goober, hog-peanut, jugo bean, ''njugumawe'' (

Swahili Swahili may refer to: * Swahili language, a Bantu language official in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda and widely spoken in the African Great Lakes * Swahili people, an ethnic group in East Africa * Swahili culture Swahili culture is the culture of ...

) (sometimes separated in ''Voandzeia'') *''

Vigna unguiculata The cowpea (''Vigna unguiculata'') is an annual herbaceous legume from the genus '' Vigna''. Its tolerance for sandy soil and low rainfall have made it an important crop in the semiarid regions across Africa and Asia. It requires very few input ...

'' (L.) Walp.—cowpea, crowder pea, Southern pea, Reeve's-pea, snake-bean **''Vigna unguiculata'' subsp. ''cylindrica''— catjang **''Vigna unguiculata'' subsp. ''dekindtiana''—wild cowpea, African cowpea, Ethiopian cowpea **''Vigna unguiculata'' subsp. ''sesquipedalis''— yardlong bean, long-podded cowpea, asparagus bean, Chinese long bean, pea-bean **''Vigna unguiculata'' subsp. ''unguiculata''—

black-eyed pea The black-eyed pea or black-eyed bean is a legume grown around the world for its medium-sized, edible bean. It is a subspecies of the cowpea, an Old World plant domesticated in Africa, and is sometimes simply called a cowpea. The common comme ...

, black-eyed bean

Incertae sedis ' () or ''problematica'' is a term used for a taxonomic group where its broader relationships are unknown or undefined. Alternatively, such groups are frequently referred to as "enigmatic taxa". In the system of open nomenclature, uncertain ...

*'' Vigna comosa'' *''

Vigna dalzelliana ''Vigna dalzelliana'' is a perennial herb with yellow flowers that commonly is used as fodder. The plant is poorly understood and was previously confused with its relative ''Vigna minima''. Description ''Vigna dalzelliana'' is a twining herb. I ...

'' *''

Vigna debilis ''Vigna'' is a genus of plants in the legume family, Fabaceae, with a pantropical distribution.Aitawade, M. M., et al. (2012)Section ''Ceratotropis'' of subgenus ''Ceratotropis'' of ''Vigna'' (Leguminosae–Papilionoideae) in India with a new ...

'' Fourc. *'' Vigna decipiens'' *'' Vigna dinteri'' Harms *''

Vigna dolichoides ''Vigna'' is a genus of plants in the legume family, Fabaceae, with a pantropical distribution.Aitawade, M. M., et al. (2012)Section ''Ceratotropis'' of subgenus ''Ceratotropis'' of ''Vigna'' (Leguminosae–Papilionoideae) in India with a new ...

'' Baker in Hooker f. *'' Vigna frutescens'' *'' Vigna gracilis'' *'' Vigna kirkii'' *''

Vigna lanceolata ''Vigna lanceolata'', known as the pencil yam, native bean, Maloga bean, parsnip bean, Ngarlajiyi, small yam, yam, bush carrot, Wapurtali, Wapirti, and Wajaraki is an Australian native plant. Its name in the Arrernte language of Central Austra ...

''—pencil yam, Maloga-bean, parsnip-bean, ''merne arlatyeye'' (

Arrernte Arrernte (also spelt Aranda, etc.) is a descriptor related to a group of Aboriginal Australian peoples from Central Australia. It may refer to: * Arrernte (area), land controlled by the Arrernte Council (?) * Arrernte people, Aboriginal Austral ...

) *'' Vigna lobata'' (Willd.) Endl. *'' Vigna lobatifolia'' *''

Vigna marina ''Vigna marina'' is a prostrate, creeping vine and a perennial plant.Descriptions of Major Dune Plants'' publication by the Beach Protection Authority of Queensland, Australia Also known as the beach pea, nanea, and notched cowpea, it is a speci ...

'' (Burm.f.) Merr.—dune-bean, notched cowpea, sea-bean, ''mohihihi'', ''nanea'' (

Hawaiian Hawaiian may refer to: * Native Hawaiians, the current term for the indigenous people of the Hawaiian Islands or their descendants * Hawaii state residents, regardless of ancestry (only used outside of Hawaii) * Hawaiian language Historic uses * ...

) *'' Vigna multiflora'' *'' Vigna nervosa'' *'' Vigna oblongifolia'' *''

Vigna owahuensis ''Vigna owahuensis'' is a rare species of flowering plant in the legume family known by the common name Oahu cowpea. Distribution It is endemic to Hawaii, where it is known from seven small populations on the islands of Hawaii, Molokai, Lanai, ...

'' Vogel—Oahu cowpea *''

Vigna parkeri ''Vigna parkeri'', the creeping vigna or vigna menjalar, is a climbing or prostrate perennial vine that grows in subtropical areas such as Kenya, Indonesia, and Madagascar. Description ''Vigna parkeri'' has climbing or prostrate stems, sometime ...

''—creeping vigna *'' Vigna pilosa''

References

External links

{{Taxonbar, from=Q132634 Fabaceae genera Pantropical flora