Flowers By Donna Oregon

Family: Fabaceae

Genus: Mucuna

Species: pruriens

Common names: velvet bean, mucuna, nescafé, pó de mico

General Description: Like many of the species of bean vines, velvet bean is an annual climbing vine that grows an average of 15 m high. Its flowers range from white to dark purple, hanging in long clusters from the vine trunk.

Bean vines typically produce clusters of pods which contain seeds- the seeds in this species are known as mucuna beans. The reddish orange fuzz on the seed pods is a topical irritant if not handled carefully. The species name "pruriens" (from the Latin, "itching sensation") refers to the results to be had from contact with the seed pod hairs.

Velvet beans grow very fast and when the leaves fall on the ground they create a wonderful cover -- like a blanket -- which protects the soil from rain and wind erosion. Seeds of this bean vine are white, mottled and/or colored.

Location: It is indigenous to tropical regions, including Africa, India, and the West Indies.

Uses: Velvet beans were introduced into the southern United States in 1875. They were a favorite cover crop in the South for more than 150 years. A source of forage and feed, they fit well in the September-March niche when forages were less available in the South. They were also used for erosion control and increasing organic matter in the soil. However, they rapidly vanished from the southern landscape when nitrogen fertilizer and soybeans replaced the need for velvet beans. This crop also suppresses weeds, diseases and insects- thus, they have potential as a cash crop, which means velvet beans can be viewed as an organic, sustainable pesticide crop.

Beans have potential to be a significant food source. Production has the potential to out-produce maize, diversifying agriculture and increasing farmer income ten to twenty times over. With technology to farm permanently one piece of land, a farmer doesn't need to cut the rainforest for survival.

Velvet bean has a long history of use in Indian medicine, where it is used for worms, dysentery, diarrhea, snakebite, sexual debility, cough, tuberculosis, impotence, rheumatic disorders, muscular pain, sterility, gout, menstrual disorders, diabetes, and cancer. Velvet bean also has a long history of traditional use in Brazil and India as an aphrodisiac. It is now being considered as an alternative to the pharmaceutical medication levodopa. This multi-task bean can also lower blood sugar and increase testosterone levels.

Although tribal and folk medicine has used Velvet beans for centuries for a variety of ills, the beans' pharmaceutical use is fairly new in the United States and is still being explored.

Disclaimer: The statements contained herein have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Any reference to medicinal use is not intended to treat, cure, mitigate or prevent any disease.

In addition to writing online articles, Tony also has interests in and .