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Vigna subterranea
Also called Bambara Groundnut, Bambara Bean, Congo Goober, Ground Bean, Hog Peanut, Bambara Nut
Bambara groundnut is an annual legume grown across Sub-Saharan Africa for its edible seeds, which develop in pods that ripen underground. It is a drought-tolerant, heat-resistant crop suited to poor, marginal soils.
Vigna subterranea (common names: Bambara groundnut, Bambara nut, Bambara bean, manicongo, Congo goober, earth pea, ground-bean, or hog-peanut) is a member of the family Fabaceae. Its name is derived from the Bambara ethnic group. It reproduces via geocarpy, ripening its pods underground, much like the peanut (also called a groundnut).
The plant originated in West Africa. As a food and source of income, the Bambara groundnut is considered to be the third most important leguminous crop in those African countries where it is grown, after peanut and cowpea. The crop is mainly cultivated, sold and processed by women, and is, thus, particularly valuable for female subsistence farmers.
The spread of V. subterranea beyond its native range is closely linked to the interplay of human migration, trade, colonialism and agricultural practices.
This nutrient-dense legume is sometimes termed a "complete food" due to its balanced macronutrient composition. It is considered to be a neglected and underutilized food source in Benin. The brown hull showed the highest concentrations of rutin and myricetin among flavonoids, while the red hull resulted in having with the highest concentrations of chlorogenic and ellagic acid among tannin compounds.
Moth bean · Adzuki bean · Hairypod cowpea · Black gram · Mung bean · Rice bean · Catjang · Asparagus bean · Black-eyed pea · Cowpea · Cowpea
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Vigna subterranea by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
