Hyacinth Bean(redirected from Lablab purpureus)
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(Dolichos lablab), an herbacious, generally twining plant of the family Leguminosae. The leaves are trifolio-late. The large, fragrant flowers are white, reddish, or purple; they are in axillary racemes. The fruit is a pod, with three or four globose, ovate, or flattened seeds. The hyacinth bean has been cultivated since ancient times for food and forage; it does not grow wild. It is cultivated primarily in the tropical and subtropical regions of Asia and Africa. The unripe pods and the ripe seeds are used as food. Many cultural forms are known. The hyacinth bean is grown in Western Europe and the Caucasus as an ornamental.