Description:

• Herbs, erect or climbing
• Leaves pinnately 3-foliolate; stipules reflexed, persistent; stipels lanceolate
• Flowers in axillary racemes longer than leaves; rachis swollen at insertion of pedicels; bracts caducous
• Calyx with campanulate tube longer than lobes, bilabiate; upper lip entire, emarginate, lower 3-lobed
• Petals: vexillum usually reflexed, auriculate at base, with 2 callosities on inner face; wings longer than keel; keel beaked, incurved at right angle
• Stamens 10, vexillary filament free, others connate into sheath; anthers uniform
• Ovary surrounded by lobed disc; several-ovuled; style incurved at right angle, flattened laterally, with soft hairs towards top of adaxial face; stigma terminal
• Pod obliquely oblong-falcate, beaked by persistent style, sometimes with upper margin verrucose
• Seeds slightly compressed, dark brown, with a white aril more than half their length
• x = 11

Nomenclature:

• Lablab Adans.
  • Adanson: 325 (1763)
  • Harvey: 263 (1862)
  • Verdcourt: 409 (1970)
  • Verdcourt: 696 (1971)

Distribution & Notes:

• Global: Species 1: Lablab purpureus (L.) Sweet subsp. uncinatus Verdc., variable under worldwide cultivation, widespread in Africa
• Southern Africa: Throughout