Negretia pruriens var. utilis

Wiriadinata, H., Ohashi, H. & Adema, F., 2016, Notes on Malesian Fabaceae (Leguminosae-Papilionoideae) 16. The genus Mucuna, Blumea 61 (2), pp. 90-124 : 115

1. Irritating hairs absent. Bracts to the brachyblasts c. 21 mm long. Bracteoles narrowly ovate, c. 2.8 mm long. Calyx c. 15.5 mm long. Pods 4.6–11 by 1.4–2.0 cm. Seeds 11–17 by 11–16 by 6.3–7.6 mm. — Cultivated, in tropics and subtropics............................... b. var. utilis a. var. pruriens

Irritating hairs present at least at inflorescence axes, calyx and pods. Terminal leaflets 7–16 by 3–10 cm, index 1.3–2.3; lateral 7.5–13 by 4–10 cm. Inflorescences 6–30 cm long, peduncle 1.5–4.5 cm long. Bracts to the brachyblasts 7–10 by 1–3 mm. Bracts to the flowers obliquely ovate, c. 6 by 2.5 mm. Bracteoles elliptic, 4.8–4.9 by 1.2 mm. Calyx 9.5– 14 mm long. Pods 7–9.5 by 1.0–1.6 cm. Seeds 8–13 by 6.5–11 by 2.0–4.5 mm; hilum 4–7 mm long, 1/5–1/7 of the circumference.

Distribution — Tropical Asia, throughout Malesia; also recorded from Africa and S and C America, there probably always introduced.

Habitat & Ecology — As the species.

Note — Cultivated for the presence of L-DOPA.