Asian pigeonwings flowers
Asian pigeonwings is a legume with edible flowers. Flowers can be eaten raw or are dipped in batter and fried. Flowers can also be used as food colouring to colour glutinous rice, or are used to make Butterfly pea flower tea. In India the plant is a holy flower, used in rituals.
Names
Scientific
Clitoria ternatea
English
Asian pigeonwings
Blue pea
Bluebellvine
Butterfly pea
Cordofan pea
Darwin pea
Dutch
Kittelbloem
Spanish
Conchita azul
Taxonomy
Genus
Clitoria
Family
Fabaceae
Order
Fabales
Basic information and facts
Origin:
Equatorial Asia
Distribution:
The Indian sub-continent, Southeast Asia, Africa, Australia and America.
Annual, biennial, or perennial:
It is a perennial herbaceous legume.
Flowers:
Flowers are a vivid deep blue, with light yellow markings. The flowers are imagined to have the shape of human female genitals. The flowers contain a dye that reacts like litmus paper. In acidic solutions it turns red and in basic solutions it turns blue.
Leaves:
Elliptic, obtuse leaves.
Fruits:
The flat pods are 5 to 7 cm long. Each pod has six to ten seeds. Pods are edible when tender.
Climate and weather:
Tropical
Pollination:
Height:
The plant grows as a vine or creeper and can reach up to 6 meters high.
Propagation:
Can be propagated by seed.
Harvesting:
Handpick flowers or tender pods.
Uses:
Flowers are edible, either raw or fried. Flowers are used to make a tea. Flowers are used as a food colouring for sticky rice. The plant is also grown as an ornamental. The plant is also ascribed to have various medicinal qualities such as memory enhancing, antistress, antidepressant and tranquilizing.
Crop categories
Flower vegetables
Legumes
Medicinal plants
Ornamental plants
Tropical crops
Pictures
Asian pigeonwings flowers
Butterfly pea
Butterfly pea
Butterfly pea flower