File:Lablab purpureus plant Tac cropped (10354923196).jpg

Introduced, warm-season, annual or biennial, trailing and twining legume. Leaves have 3 large (7-15 cm long) rounded leaflets with short hairs on the underside. Flowerheads are racemes of white, blue or purple pea-like flowers, which form curved, broad and flattened pods that are 4-5 cm long. Flowering is in summer and autumn. A native of Africa, it is sown as summer forage or as a green manure crop. It is suited to well-drained soils with a pHCa more than 4.2; although it is tolerant of short periods of flooding. Very sensitive to salinity. A non-bloating, high quality forage. Leaves are highly palatable, but not the stems. Usually higher yielding, more tolerant of grazing and has better root disease resistance than cowpeas. When used as a green manure crop it increases soil fertility and supplies good quantities of nitrogen. Up to 3 harvests are possible from annual types, but they will not withstand heavy grazing of the stems. Rotationally graze for best production and persistence. Best regrowth is achieved if grazing is delayed until flowering and stock are removed as soon as the leafy portion of the plants has been