208 VEGETABLES AND FOOD PRODUCTS 



used. The plant is cultivated in India for fodder, as well as for 

 green-manuring, and occurs in several varieties, these being dis- 

 tinguished by white, black, and grey seeds. 



Dolichos bracteata. "El-dhambala" S. A climbing bean, 

 bearing purplish flowers and narrow, well-filled pods, about 3 inches 

 long. The tender pods are boiled and eaten. 



Dolichos Lablab, var. " Ho-dhambala," or "Irivija" S. A 

 strong-growing climbing bean with purple flowers, and flat broad 

 pods with warted margins ; the pods are 3 to 4 inches long, and 

 when young and tender are boiled and eaten ; the matured seeds 

 are not considered edible. The plant is often seen cultivated at 

 cooly lines in the low-country of Ceylon. There are several 

 varieties of this bean, the following being given by DR. ROXBURGH 

 for India : 



a. "albiflorum": Flowers white, rather small ; seeds not eaten. 



b. "rubiflorum": Flowers red. 



c. "purpurescens": Flowers large, purplish; seeds white. 



d. "purpureum": Stems and the large flowers purple; pods deep 



purple. 



"Sudu-dhambala" of Ceylon, with white flowers -and short, broad, 2-3 

 seeded pods, is probably the same as var. a. This is grown chiefly about 

 cooly lines and Natives' houses, and the seeds as well as the pods are eaten. 



Dolichos biflorus. Madras gram; Horse gram; "Kollu" 

 S and T. A semi-erect annual, 2 to 3 ft. high, with small trifoliate 

 leaves, bearing small curved pods 2 to 3 in. long. It is grown some- 

 what extensively in India, both as a fodder and food crop, and 

 also as a green manure crop for ploughing into the soil. It is 

 specially suited to dry regions, and is said to have produced from 

 2,000 to 3,000 Ib. of green plant per acre in about 12 weeks, 

 during which the rain did not amount to 1 in. The plant is also 

 commonly grown in Ceylon in the dry low-country districts. 



Glycine hispida. Soya Bean. An erect annual, varying in 

 height according to variety and soil, usually from about 1^ to 2 ft., 

 though sometimes reaching 3 or 4 feet or more. It is a native of 

 China and Japan, where it has been cultivated for food from time 

 immemorial. The short hairy pods contain 2 to 4 seeds each ; the 

 latter are a nutritious food and a standard diet with the Chinese 

 and Japanese. The pea-like smooth seeds (generally referred to as 

 beans) vary from white to yellow and black. They are cooked 

 and prepared for food in numerous ways, being either boiled, 

 roasted, or ground into flour. They contain little or no starch, and 

 are consequently used as a diet for diabetic patients. In America 



