Mucuna poggei
Fabaceae FAMILY

Mucuna poggei

Mucuna poggei

Edibility
2/5
Medicinal
2/5

Safety & Hazards

The pounded stems are cast into streams to stupefy fish[ 299 Title Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa. Publication Author Website http://www.prota.org Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa. ]. Mucuna species often possess irritant hairs on the seedpods and sometimes on the flowers and other parts. These hairs consist of 1-2 small basal cells and a large needle-like top cell. The top cell breaks off easily, piercing the skin and injecting chemical compounds that are present in the hairs. The proteolytic enzyme 'Mucunain' is said to be the active agent[ 1533 Title Notes on Malesian Fabaceae (Leguminosae-Papilionoideae) 16. The genus Mucuna Publication Blumea 61, 2016: 90-124 Author Wiriadinata H.; Ohashi H.; Adema F. Website http://dx.doi.org/10.3767/000651916X692799 Publisher Year 2016 ISBN Description An excellent treatment ]. The hairs can contaminate clothes or other objects, and remain active when dried, though they can be destroyed by heat[ 299 Title Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa. Publication Author Website http://www.prota.org Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa. , 374 Title Contact-Poisonous Plants of the World Publication Author Rohde. M. Website http://mic-ro.com/plants/ Publisher Year 2006 ISBN Description A document on the internet. Gives brief information on about 35 species of plants that can cause severe problems from a single contact with the skin. , 1309 Title The Leguminosae; A Source Book of Characteristics, Uses and Nodulation Publication Author Allen O.N.; Allen E.K. Publisher University of Wisconsin Year 1981 ISBN 0-333-32221-5 Description An amazing and comprehensive work, giving a brief guide to the many genera of the family Fabaceae and also the principle uses of the genus. ]. Intense itching, with reddening of the skin and small papules or urticaria occur a few minutes after contact with the hairy parts of the plant. There is no serious danger, unless the hairs get into the eye, in which case, in extreme situations, they have caused blindness. To remove the hairs from the skin, adhesive tape and washing with water and soap are considered useful. Dermatitis can be treated with corticosteroid ointment. See a doctor immediately if hairs go into the eyes[ 374 Title Contact-Poisonous Plants of the World Publication Author Rohde. M. Website http://mic-ro.com/plants/ Publisher Year 2006 ISBN Description A document on the internet. Gives brief information on about 35 species of plants that can cause severe problems from a single contact with the skin. ].

Botanical Description

Mucuna poggei is a climbing shrub producing twining stems that can be 10 - 30 metres long and up to 20cm in diameter[ 308 Title Flora Zambesiaca Publication Author Website http://apps.kew.org/efloras/fz/intro.html Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description An excellent online flora of plants from the Zambezi River basin. It lists a number of the plant uses as well as the habitats and botanical descriptions of the plants. ]. The plant is harvested from the wild for local use, mainly as a dye and for medicinal purposes, but also sometimes as a food and source of tying material.

Habitat & Origin

Origintropical
Native RangeTropical Africa - Sierra Leone and Mali to southern Sudan, Uganda and Kenya, south to Angola, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Mozambique, avoiding wetter regions
HabitatBrachystegia-Uapaca woodland; edges of evergreen forest; Phragmites grassland; secondary transitional forest with Harungana madagascariensis; riverine forest; Papyrus swamps, etc, at elevations up to 2,000 metres[ 299 Title Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa. Publication Author Website http://www.prota.org Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa. , 328 Title African Flowering Plants Database Publication Author Website http://www.ville-ge.ch/musinfo/bd/cjb/africa/recherche.php Publisher Conservatoire et Jardin Botaniques. Year 0 ISBN Description Contains information on over 150,000 plant names (including synonyms) giving a description and habitat, plus a distribution map. ].