The Jerusalem Botanical Gardens

Common name: לבלב מטפס 'מון שאדו', לבלב מטפס 'מון שאדו', לבלב ארגמני 'מון שאדו'

Family: Fabaceae (Pea)

Distribution: S, E & W Africa, from there it was distributed to all the tropical regions.

Habitat: Hilly areas and coastal lowlands in S, E & W Africa

Life form: Herbaceous perennial

In memory: Dedicated to the memory of Nizza Yaffe-Ovadia, a teacher of life and nature.

Description: A climbing or erect perennial herb, 1-6 m long. The stems are hairless; the inflorescence is slender and with pink-purple flowers. The fruit is a legume pod that turns scarlet when ripe. 3-6 seeds in each pod. The plant is grown as food and as forage for livestock. The ripe bean is poisonous and must be thoroughly cooked before it is edible. The plant originates in Africa, but it is now grown in warm regions worldwide, including SE Asia, Egypt, and Sudan.