152 



Food-Grains of India. 



The Moth-bean. 

 Phaseolus aconitifoliiis, J acq. 



Synonyms— ?\. trilobus (Wall.), Doliclios dissectus (Lam.). 



Hind.—WoX, Mote, Moth, Mothi, Bhringga, Meth-kalai. Beng — Kheri. Assam— 

 Matti-kalaie. Tamil — Tulka-pyre. Telugu — Kiinciima-pesalii. Sind — Mohar. 



This bean is the produce of a trailing slender-stemmed herb 

 belonging to the tribe Phaseolese. It is found from the Himalaya 

 to Ceylon, in the tropical region, and extends up to 4,000 feet in 

 the North- West. It is cultivated in Oudh, Allahibdd, Farruckdbad, 

 Patna District, Purniah District, Assam, Gorakhpur. The pods 

 are stouter and the seeds larger than in the allied species, Ph. 

 trilobus (Ait.). It is often grown on the worst land which can be 

 made to yield a crop at all. It is frequently sown with bajra, the 

 bulrush millet, on light sandy soils. An average produce is 

 8 maunds from an acre. It is not esteemed as a food for man, for 

 although it is rich in nutrients, it is generally thought to possess 

 heating properties. It is a kharif crop, being sown in June, July, 

 August, or September, and reaped in November, December, and 

 January. 



Composition of Moth-beans. 



The nutrient-ratio is here about i : 2-5, while the nutrient- 

 value is 81. 



0-8 of phosphoric acid. 



