UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



Jt\JS^^J"u 



BULLETIN No. 318 



Contribution from the Bureau of Plant Industry 

 WM. A. TAYLOR, Chief 



■S^T^^J-U 



Washington, D. C. 



PROFESSIONAL PAPER 



November 18, 1915 



THE BONAVIST, LABLAB, OR HYACINTH BEAN. 



By C. V. Pipek, Agrostologist in Charge, and W. J. Morse, Scientific Assistant, 

 Forage-Crop Investigations. 



CONTENTS. 



Introduction 



Cultural characteristics 



Seed production 



Varietal characters 



Value for human food- 



Page. 



1 

 1 

 2 

 2 

 3 



Page. 



Botanical names 4 



Notes on the introduction numbers 



of Dolichos lablab 7 



Literature cited 15 



INTRODUCTION. 



The bonavist is a native of India and has been cultivated since 

 ancient times. In tropical and subtropical countries it is generally 

 grown for human food, the young pods of some varieties being used 

 after the manner of string beans. In India, China, and, formerly at 

 least, the West Indies, the dried seeds of certain varieties are also 

 used as food. In temperate countries it is more commonly known 

 as an ornamental plant, especially the purple-leaved floriferous vari- 

 eties, which are often used to grow over trellises or porches. To 

 some extent the bonavist has also been used for forage and as a green- 

 manure crop. Judging from the reports of early writers its use for 

 such purposes in the Southern States was formerly common, but the 

 plant is now rarely used there as a field crop. 



CULTURAL CHARACTERISTICS. 



In most respects the bonavist is closely comparable to the cowpea, 

 but it is more vigorous and more viny. A single plant of some of 

 the sorts will produce under favorable conditions at least twice as 

 much herbage as a single plant of any cowpea. The stems are 

 tougher and more fibrous and the leaves less succulent. Like the 

 cowpea. the bonavist is indeterminate in growth, blooming and fruit- 

 H.-.o.-i —nun. 818 — is 



