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Lablab purpureus

(L.) Sweet (1826)

This name is accepted

Kingdom: Viridiplantae Phylum: Magnoliophyta Class/Clade: Eudicot-Rosids Order: Fabales Family: Fabaceae Genus: Lablab

hyacinth bean, pāpapa

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Description

Key Characters:

Growth Form: Climbing or creeping perennial herbs.

Stems: Stems up to 5 m long.

Roots:

Leaves: Leaves compound. Alternate. Leaflets deltate–ovate, the lateral ones obliquely so, 2.5–15 cm long, 1.5–14 cm wide. Apex acute to acuminate. Base cuneate to truncate. Surfaces glabrous or pubescent. Leaflet margins entire. Petiolate. Stipules lanceolate; Leaflets stipellate, not produced below the point of insertion.

Flowers: Flowers in pseudoracemes 4–50 cm long, in clusters of on a very short, warty axis, bracts caducous. Flowers papilionaceous, bracteoles caducous. Calyx 2–lipped, the upper 2 lobes connate into an entire to bifid lip, the lower lip 3-lobed. Corolla white, blue, crimson, purple, or cream tinged mauve, the keel sometimes with a purple tip, standard 12–14 mm long, standard orbicular, reflexed, auriculate at base, wings longer than keel. Stamens 10; upper stamen confluent with other 9, which are connate into a tube. Ovary superior; style 1, apical, thickened and stiff throughout, straight; stigma terminal.

Fruit: Pods 7.5–14 cm long; 2–3 cm wide; glabrate to pubescent; also with small dot-like tuberculate hairs; tardily dehiscent; oblong–falcate; compressed; with herbaceous valves and spongy septa. Seeds 2–4; white; red; or black; ovoid; laterally flattened; 10–12 mm long; 4–6 mm in diameter; ovoid; slightly compressed; with an elongated; linear hilum with a whitish rim–aril.

Ploidy: 2n = 20; 22; 24

Habitat: Dry to mesic; disturbed areas such as along roadsides and trails and abandoned homesites.

Elevation Range: 0–90(–1,190) m.

Historical Distribution

Images

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Accepted Subtaxa (in Hawai'i) (1)

Lablab purpureus subsp. purpureus

Uses and Culture

USES

Natural History

Statewide Status

Naturalized

Island Status

Kuaihelani (Midway Atoll) Only found in cultivation
Kaua'i Naturalized
O'ahu Naturalized
Molokai Naturalized
Maui Naturalized
Hawai'i Naturalized

Dispersal Agents


Pollinators

Notes

  • 0-90 m
  • Description digitized by Rafael Domingo
  • Description digitized from the Manual of the Flowering Plants of Hawaii
  • Oahu 1864 - 1865
  • leaves, young pods, and seeds are edible. used as cover crop

Bibliography

Name Published In: Hort. Brit.: 481 (1826)

Other References

Wagner et al. 1990:676 (K, O, Mo, M, H); Staples & Herbst 2005:299 (KEY), 318 (DESCR); Gardner 2020:65 (this species may have been a canoe plant?); Wagner et al. 2023– (status change from nat? to nat; accessed Feb 2025); Fosberg 13531 BISH (Mo†, 1936)

Occurrences

SNo. Scientific Name Locality Habitat Basis of Record Description Recorded By Record Number Island Source Date
1 Lablab purpureus Lawai Valley, P.T.B.G Preserved_Specimen Flowers, stems and margins of pods purple. Seed brown with white, raised raphe. Herbst, D.R. 2260 Kauai BISH 1971-12-22
2 Lablab purpureus Hawaii National Park, Bird Park Road Preserved_Specimen Woody plant, 3 ft high; fls. white. Fagerlund, G.O. 32 Hawaii BISH 1942-09-12
3 Lablab purpureus Growing along H-1 freeway at Pearl City Preserved_Specimen Vigorous vine. Corn, C. Oahu BISH 1984-12-15
4 Lablab purpureus Waianae Preserved_Specimen twiner Christophersen, E. Oahu BISH 1924-12-13
5 Lablab purpureus Pauoa Valley Preserved_Specimen Mann, H. 48 Oahu BISH 1864-01-01
6 Lablab purpureus Oahu, Woodlawn, Manoa Preserved_Specimen Forbes, A. Oahu BISH 1930-08-06
7 Lablab purpureus Pauoa Valley Preserved_Specimen Degener, O. 7221 Oahu BISH 1931-02-05
8 Lablab purpureus USDA Plant Materials Center; grass and legume groundcover trial, initial testing field 8A, row 2, plot 2, HA-2957 Preserved_Specimen Vigorous, dense vine, 2 ft tall; stem purple-green above, medium green below. Leaves dull forest green, soft velvety above, auriculate at base. No disease or insect problems noted. Evans, M. 74 Molokai BISH 1990-06-09
9 Lablab purpureus Kilauea Preserved_Specimen Flowers blue. Corn, C. Kauai BISH 1982-04-30
10 Lablab purpureus Lihue Cane Field Preserved_Specimen Fl. violet Hilton Kauai BISH 1964-10-14
11 Lablab purpureus Hauula, Oahu Preserved_Specimen Rock, J.F.C. 57 Oahu BISH
12 Lablab purpureus Vigorous vine growing along H-1 freeway at Pearl City Preserved_Specimen Corn, C. Oahu BISH 1984-12-15
13 Lablab purpureus Waialua Preserved_Specimen Lima beans. (Not on sheet) Oahu BISH 1940-08-13
14 Lablab purpureus Lawai Valley, P.T.B.G Preserved_Specimen Flowers, stems and margins of pods purple. Seed brown with white, raised raphe. Herbst, D.R. 2260 Kauai BISH 1971-12-22
15 Lablab purpureus Tantalus. Wild Preserved_Specimen Wilder, G.P. Oahu BISH 1930-11-18
16 Lablab purpureus Waimanalo Preserved_Specimen Climber, forming tangled masses on fences and banks. Standard greenish, wings white. St.John, H. 12259 Oahu BISH 1932-12-04
17 Lablab purpureus USDA Plant Materials Center; grass and legume groundcover trial, initial testing field 8A; row 2; plot 2; HA-2957 Preserved_Specimen Vigorous dense vine 2' tall; stem purple-green above, medium green below; lvs dull forest green, soft, velvety above, auriculate at base. No disease or insect problems noted. Evans, M. 74 Molokai BISH 1990-07-09
18 Lablab purpureus Waianae Mts., East of Puu Kuua Preserved_Specimen Kerr, M. 1071 Oahu BISH 1946-03-17
19 Lablab purpureus Maui Preserved_Specimen Forbes, C.N. 2265 Maui BISH 1920-05-08
20 Lablab purpureus Kailua, Oahu, T. Hawaii. Shrubby roadside Preserved_Specimen Degener, O. 7222 Oahu BISH 1928-02-24
21 Lablab purpureus Tantalus, Pawia trail, Oahu Preserved_Specimen Garber, D.W. 380 Oahu BISH 1920-04-18
22 Lablab purpureus Hauula Preserved_Specimen Rock, J.F.C. Oahu BISH 1908-12-03
23 Lablab purpureus Vigorous vine growing along H-1 freeway at Pearl City Preserved_Specimen Corn, C. Oahu BISH 1984-12-15
24 Lablab purpureus Manoa Valley, above Crotie home Preserved_Specimen Neal, M.C. Oahu BISH 1937-08-16
25 Lablab purpureus Vigorous vine growing along H-1 freeway at Pearl City Preserved_Specimen Corn, C. Oahu BISH 1984-12-15
26 Lablab purpureus Hauula Preserved_Specimen Rock, J.F.C. Oahu BISH 1908-12-03
27 Lablab purpureus Hauula Preserved_Specimen Rock, J.F.C. Oahu BISH 1908-12-03
28 Lablab purpureus Vigorous vine growing along H-1 freeway at Pearl City Preserved_Specimen Corn, C. Oahu BISH 1984-12-15
29 Lablab purpureus unknown Preserved_Specimen St.John, H. BISH
30 Lablab purpureus Mapulehu Valley, near mouth Dry valley floor. Preserved_Specimen Vine; fls. white. Fosberg, F.R. 13543 Molokai BISH 1936-12-31
31 Lablab purpureus Manoa Valley Lowlands. Preserved_Specimen Vine. Sideris, J. Oahu BISH 1932-01-15
32 Lablab purpureus Round Top, below Tantalus Road, mauka end Frequent in Tricholaena grassland. Preserved_Specimen Shrub, 0.5 m high. Egler, F.E. 37168 Oahu BISH 1937-05-16
33 Lablab purpureus Near Ewa Roadside. Preserved_Specimen Forbes, C.N. 1920 Oahu BISH 1914-07-01
34 Lablab purpureus Green Valley Scattered Preserved_Specimen Vine mounds about 5 ft. high and 10 ft. diameter. Avilla, J.J. Oahu BISH 1975-03-28
35 Lablab purpureus West Molokai, Keawakalani, lighthouse dry, rocks Preserved_Specimen vine, stem 3 cm diam Brown, F.B.H. 1303 Molokai BISH 1924-08-04
36 Lablab purpureus Waimanalo, S.E. Koolau Range, near Castles' place On the dry talus slopes of S.E. Koolau Range. Preserved_Specimen No flowers or beans; pods develop in Jan. and Feb. Bryan Jr., E.H. Oahu BISH 1939-09-22
37 Lablab purpureus East Maui, Hana District, Kipahulu, on side of rd Lowland wet, disturbed forest. Preserved_Specimen Vine covering large areas; foliage trifoliate, little appendages below leaf base; flowers white; no fruit. Starr, F. 11211 Maui BISH 2000-11-21
38 Lablab purpureus Near Hauula Sealevel. Preserved_Specimen Flowers white. Rock, J.F.C. 113 Oahu BISH 1908-11-14
39 Lablab purpureus Waimanalo, near Shriners' property Ca. 50 ft from sea. Climbing over bushes on roadside. Preserved_Specimen Neal, M.C. Oahu BISH 1939-11-17
40 Lablab purpureus Near Ewa Roadside. Preserved_Specimen Forbes, C.N. 1920 Oahu BISH 1914-07-01
41 Lablab purpureus Lihue, Puhi camp just W of Kauai Community College from yard of abandoned homesite Preserved_Specimen Flowers white Flynn, T.W. 1647 Kauai BISH 1986-04-04
42 Lablab purpureus Mapulehu Valley, near mouth Dry hillside. Preserved_Specimen Vine; fls bright-purple. Fosberg, F.R. 13531 Molokai BISH 1936-12-31
43 Lablab purpureus Halawa Growing along old trail. Preserved_Specimen Flowers whitish, plant climbing, spreading. St.John, H. 12683 Molokai BISH 1932-12-27
44 Lablab purpureus Lihue, Puhi Camp just W of Kauai Community College homesites as camp was razed. Preserved_Specimen Flowers purple. Stems reddish-brown Flynn, T.W. 2010 Kauai BISH 1986-12-05
45 Lablab purpureus Waimanalo, near Shriners' property Ca. 50 ft from sea. Climbing over bushes on roadside. Preserved_Specimen Neal, M.C. Oahu BISH 1939-11-17
46 Lablab purpureus unknown Preserved_Specimen BISH
47 Lablab purpureus Waipouli, Kapaa By-pass Rd Naturalizing on the roadside. Growing w. Leucaena leucocephala, Urochloa maxima, Leonotis nepetifolia, Ricinus communis, Thunbergia sp., Senna occidentalis, Argemone mexicana Preserved_Specimen Seed chocolate brown w. thick white helium; pods flat to slightly inflated; pod margins ratty, green w. some purple down center; green calyx; flws white to yellow-white; leaves yellow green on above and dull light green w. purple mid-rib below; seed pods w. papery thin grey brown inner layer Tangalin, N. 1335 Kauai BISH 2007-05-31
48 Lablab purpureus Mapulehu Valley, near mouth Dry valley floor. Preserved_Specimen Vine; fls. white. Fosberg, F.R. 13543 Molokai BISH 1936-12-31
49 Lablab purpureus Olokele Canyon forming a tangle along side of the trail Preserved_Specimen Degener, O. 7220 Kauai BISH 1926-07-03
50 Lablab purpureus Haleiwa, Waimea Arboretum and Botanical Gardens Living collections. Preserved_Specimen Groundcover vine. Orr, D. Oahu BISH 1993-03-11
51 Lablab purpureus Wailau Valley On steep bank. Preserved_Specimen Climbing on bushes. St.John, H. 13227 Molokai BISH 1933-07-03
52 Lablab purpureus Lihue District. Old sugar cane haul raods south of the Wailua Reservoir accessed from Highway 583. Common along roadsides, growing over Megathyrsus maximus and up trees. Megathyrsus maximus, Casuarina equisetifolia (planted). Preserved_Specimen Herbaceous vine climbing to about 1 meter through grass; stems red-purplish, leaves dull green; flower racemes erect, corolla purple. White flowered plants were also present in the population, though less numerous. Could not detect odor from the flower. Mature fruit not yet present. Brock, K. 748 Kauai BISH 2015-10-28
53 Lablab purpureus Mapulehu Valley, near mouth Dry hillside. Preserved_Specimen Vine; fls bright-purple. Fosberg, F.R. 13531 Molokai BISH 1936-12-31
54 Lablab purpureus Kane'ohe, Kahekili Hwy., about 100 m NW of Kea'ahala Rd Wet, sunny area. Growing on chain link fence along the road Preserved_Specimen Flowers pink, fruits green with pink margin. One small colony seen growing along about 5 m of fence line. Faccenda, K. 2867 Oahu BISH 2022-12-17
55 Lablab purpureus Kawaihapai, Waianae Range Spring-fed talus slopes of Kawaihapai. Preserved_Specimen Vine festooning tops of 30-ft trees. Sterile. Relict from cultivation? Hatheway, W.H. 316 Oahu BISH 1950-08-29
56 Lablab purpureus Makiki Roadsides above Makiki. Preserved_Specimen Forbes, C.N. 2486 Oahu BISH 1917-05-01
57 Lablab purpureus Halawa Spreading along old trail. Preserved_Specimen Flower whitish, climbing. St.John, H. 12683 Molokai BISH 1932-12-27
58 Lablab purpureus Kewaihau District. Coastal dirt walking path, north of Paliku (Donkey) Beach. Growing next to path near coastline. Climbing on Megathyrsus maximus and Leucaena leucocephala. Soil compated, dry. Full sun. Preserved_Specimen Herbaceous vine, crawling on grass and other vbegetation, approximately 1.5 meters tall; stems red-purple, shiny; leaves bright green, veins and midrib the same color as stem but pulvini green; inflorescence erect, petals purple + darker near base, odorless (afternoon). Brock, K. 821 Kauai BISH 2016-05-17
59 Lablab purpureus Lihue, Puhi camp just W of Kauai Community College from yard of abandoned homesite Preserved_Specimen Flowers white Flynn, T.W. 1647 Kauai BISH 1986-04-04
60 Lablab purpureus Lihue District. Secondary vegetation outside of DCFAW baseyards Rd. gate, in overgrown area between Wehe Rd and M. Kawamura property Secondary forest of non-native 'wayside' plants Macaranga tanatus, Megathyrsus maximus, Leucaena leucocephala, Spathodea campanulata, Macfadyena unguis-cati, Partherium hysterophorus, Malvastrum coromandelanum, Merremia tuberosa, Eppemnum pinna Preserved_Specimen Vine, intertwined with others (Neonotonia, Macfadyena, Merremia) in the roadside vegetation, climbing 10-15 feet up adjacent small trees. Flowers white, calyx light green, all other parts green. Fruits cream to greenish white with conspicuous bumpy ridge along one side. Perhaps a cultivar alba, or different subspecies? Williams, A.M. 782 Kauai BISH 2023-03-30
61 Lablab purpureus Honolulu, Punahou area, Ualakaa St A vine climbing on shrubbery in full sun. Formerly cultivated; now untended. Preserved_Specimen Standard: rose pink. Wings: rose pink to magenta. Keel: white a pinkish tinge. Flowers odorless (afternoon). Lau, J. 1502 Oahu BISH 1985-10-07
62 Lablab purpureus Waipahu Cultural Gardens, 94-695 Waipahu St A bushy vine 0.5 m tall growing in an open rocky area. The major portion of the plant is upright and free standing. Some of the stems are twining onto surroundong weeds. Preserved_Specimen Flowers white; odorless (morning). Possibly naturalized. In full sun. Common name: Hyacinth bean Lau, J. 2105 Oahu BISH 1986-03-10
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