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Pachyrhizus tuberosus

Botanic Family

Leguminosae

Author

(Lamarck) A. Sprengel

Common Names

• Potato Bean
• Yam Bean
• Water Chestnut
• Mexican Water Chestnut
• Jicama
• Yalai
• Bischuba Tape (Cayapa)
• Se'va (Cofan)
• Soya (Spanish)
• Namau (Aguaruna)
• Nabau (Aguaruna)
• Ajipo

Geographical Habitats

• Bolivia
• Brazil
• Colombia
• Ecuador
• Guyana
• Hispaniola
• Jamaica
• Martinique
• Paraguay
• Peru
• Puerto Rico
• Trinidad & Tobago
• Venezuela

Natural Habitats

• Coastal
• disturbed areas
• cultivated land
• cut-over forest.

Flowering Times

• Jan
• Feb
• Mar
• Jul
• Oct

Fruiting Times

• Mar
• May
• Oct
• Nov
• Dec

Herbaceous vigorous twining climber or trailer with large tuberous root. Trifoliate leaves. Racemes of 2-3 flowers, 22mm violet, pale blue or white & yellow pubescent flowers, rusty pilose calyx to 10mm long, white or yellow flowers to 20mm long. Green-brown torulose fruit to 300mm x 20mm with triangular beak to 3mm long covered in rufous villi.

Further References

• Sturtevant 1919
• Bailey 1976
• Rubatzky 1997
• Mobot
• Neotrop
• APDC
• The Plant List 2
• Botanicus
• ILDIS
• FOPE