Mucuna
9.9
A tropical plant that grows as a herb or climbing vine with three-part leaves and showy flowers in small groups
- noun
- /mʌˈkuːnə/
- Specialized
:
Mucuna
- The gardener decided to introduce Mucuna varieties for their ornamental value and ecological benefits.
Examples
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In the rainforest, Mucuna vines can grow extensively, creating a lush green environment.
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The Mucuna plant is known for its stunning flowers that grow in colorful clusters.
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And scientists in Italy have requested velvet bean, Mucuna pruriens, a source of the dopa that's converted by the brain to the neurotransmitter dopamine.
Academic text (1996)
Synonyms
9.9
A group of tropical herbs and vines with three-part leaves and bright clustered flowers
is the same genus concept but uses an alternate scientific name
Compounds
Mucuna pruriens utilis
- Specialized
9.9
A tropical vine grown as a cover crop to improve soil and feed animals
Surface Forms
Etymology
Mucuna comes from a local name for the tropical plant. A helpful way to remember it is to think of the 'velvet bean' because Mucuna are climbing 'beans' with soft, sometimes itchy pods, so the name fits these warm-region vines.
