Pachyrhizus seed Yam Bean
LATIN NAME: Pachyrhizus erosus
COMMON NAME: Yam Bean
The yam bean twists the long, twining stems over the supports with the broad, three-lobed leaves and the clusters of the small, violet-blue flowers, and the whole plant carries the fine, leafy look of the warm garden. The vigorous, twining, herbaceous climber carries the long, twining stems with the broad, three-lobed, bright-green leaves and the clusters of the small, violet-blue or white, pea-like flowers through the warm season, one of the fine, quiet sights of the warm garden, drawing the bees, to be followed by the long, flat, hairy pods with the few flat, round seeds, while the large, fleshy, turnip-like roots swell below the ground. The crisp roots have a very long record as the fine, fresh roots of the warm tables, and the plant is a fine, historic presence of the warm garden. It is a climber of the open, sunny, deep, rich, moist, well-drained ground.
Scientific Research & Plant Biotechnology
The yam bean is a historic subject of the plant science, and the fleshy roots keep showing up in the work on the root crops. The way the large, fleshy, turnip-like roots swell below the ground on the twining stems has been studied closely, and it keeps appearing in the studies of the root crops, the three-lobed leaves and the members of the pea family. The fleshy roots and the twining habit have also made it a fine study plant, and the yam bean is a regular subject of the work on the fleshy roots of the warm world.
Ecological & Economic Value & Wide Applications
The yam bean is a fine, quiet plant of the warm garden and the study collection. The broad, three-lobed, bright-green leaves on the long, twining stems cover the supports with the fine, leafy growth, one of the fine, quiet sights of the warm garden, drawing the bees, and the crisp roots have a very long record as the fine, fresh roots of the warm tables, the crisp roots coming to the fresh salads, the stir-fries and the fine, crunchy plates of the old kitchens, while the clusters of the small, violet-blue or white, pea-like flowers open through the warm season, to be followed by the long, flat, hairy pods with the few flat, round seeds. It is one of the fine choices for the warm garden, the trellis and the study collection, and it has been written up in the culinary and the botanical papers for the crisp roots and the very long history. It is a fine, quiet plant of the open, sunny, deep, rich, moist, well-drained garden.
The yam bean seeds start well in a fine, sandy loam in a warm corner. Give the young climbers a trellis or a fence to climb, and keep the ground rich and moist through the first season, then the fleshy roots swell below the surface by the end of the warm months.
To grow the yam bean from seed, sow the large, round, brown seeds singly in the pot of fine, sandy soil, keep the pot in a bright, open spot and water gently, then set the young plants out against the trellis. The seedlings appear within a couple of weeks and grow on fast. With the sun and the deep, rich, moist, well-drained ground, the twining stems will cover the support over the warm months.
Uses: Edible
