perennial twining vine of Old World tropics having trifoliate leaves and racemes of fragrant purple pea-like flowers followed by maroon pods of edible seeds; grown as an ornamental and as a vegetable on the Indian subcontinent; sometimes placed in genus Dolichos
south African evergreen partly woody vine grown for its clusters of rosy purple flowers followed by edible pods like snap beans; also grown as green manure; sometimes placed in genus Dolichos