Clitoria ternatea
Clitoria ternatea vine
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Plantae
Division:
Magnoliophyta
Class:
Magnoliopsida
Order:
Fabales
Family:
Fabaceae
Subfamily:
Faboideae
Tribe:
Cicereae
Genus:
Clitoria
Species:
C. ternatea
Binomial name
Clitoria ternatea

Clitoria ternatea is a plant species belonging to the Fabaceae family.

Distribution

This plant is native to tropical equatorial Asia, but has been introduced to Africa, Australia and the New World.

Description

Side view of the flower at Kolkata, West Bengal, India

It is a perennial herbaceous plant. Its leaves are elliptic and obtuse. It grows as a vine or creeper, doing well in moist neutral soil. The most striking feature about this plant are its vivid deep blue flowers. They are solitary, with light yellow markings. They are about 4 cm long by 3 cm wide. There are some varieties that yield white flowers.

The fruits are 5 - 7 cm long, flat pods with 6 to 10 seeds in each pod. They are edible when tender.

It is grown as an ornamental plant and as a revegetation species (e.g., in coal mines in Australia), requiring little care when cultivated. Its roots fix nitrogen and therefore this plant is also used to improve soil quality.

Uses

Flower and pods in different states of ripeness

In Southeast Asia the flowers are used to colour food. In Malay cooking, an aqueous extract is used to colour glutinous rice for kuih tekan (also known as pulut tai tai in Peranakan/Nyonya cooking) and in nonya chang. In Thailand, a syrupy blue drink is made called nam dok anchan (น้ำดอกอัญชัญ). In Burma the flowers are used as food, often they are dipped in batter and fried.

In animal tests the methanolic extract of Clitoria ternatea roots demonstrated nootropic, anxiolytic, antidepressant, anticonvulsant and antistress activity. The active constituent(s) include Tannins, resins, Starch, Taraxerol & Taraxerone.

Clitoria ternatea root extracts are capable of curing whooping cough if taken orally. The extract from the white-flowered plant can cure goiter. Its roots are used in ayurveda Indian medicine.

Names

The shape of the flower has inspired some of its names.

The flowers of this vine have the shape of human female pudenda, hence the Latin name of thegenus "Clitoria", from "clitoris". (Synonyms: Clitoris principissae.)[1] "Ternatea", the name of the species, comes from Ternate, a location in Indonesia.[citation needed] In some languages (Tamil, Malayalam) it is named after the seashell, which is a euphemism for a woman's external sexual organs.[citation needed]

Owing to its similarity to a human body part, this plant has been ascribed properties affecting the same (a phenomenon also found in connection with the mandrake, among other plants). It was used traditionally to cure sexual ailments, like infertility and gonorrhea, to control menstrual discharge, and also as an aphrodisiac. This practice is rooted in an ancient belief recorded in the Doctrine of Signatures.[2]

Some common names are:

References

  1. ^ Pharmacopia Indica Awl
  2. ^ Paul R. Fantz, Ethnobotany of Clitoria (Leguminosae), Department of Horticultural Science, North Carolina State University - Raleigh, NC
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