Cordofan-pea (Clitoria ternatea, Sp. pl. 2:753. 1753)

Family: Fabaceae

Author: L.

Bibliography: Sp. pl. 2:753. 1753

Year: 1857

Status: accepted

Rank: species

Genus: Clitoria

Vegetable: False

Observations: Cape Verde, Trop. & S. Africa, Arabian Pen.

Description

Cordofan-pea, known scientifically as Clitoria ternatea, is a remarkable plant belonging to the Fabaceae family. First described in 1753 by the eminent botanist Carl Linnaeus, this perennial herb has since captivated botanists and plant enthusiasts alike.

Native to regions such as Cape Verde, tropical and southern Africa, and the Arabian Peninsula, Cordofan-pea thrives in warm climates. This plant is notable for its vibrant blue flowers, which are often used not only for their striking beauty but also for various practical applications.

Traditionally, cultures within its native range have utilized Cordofan-pea for medicinal purposes. The plant is reputed for its potential benefits in treating a range of ailments, from anxiety and stress alleviation to anti-inflammatory uses. Additionally, the flowers are utilized as a natural food coloring, imparting a unique blue hue to culinary dishes and beverages.

Beyond its practical uses, Cordofan-pea also holds significance in the study of botany and biodiversity. Its adaptability to different environments across its native range highlights the ecological versatility of the Fabaceae family and provides insights into the evolutionary mechanisms that enable such diversity.

In horticulture, Cordofan-pea is prized for its ornamental value. Gardeners and landscapers often cultivate it for the beauty of its blooms, which can add a splash of color and elegance to garden spaces.

Overall, Clitoria ternatea is a plant of considerable interest and value, both in its native habitats and in cultivated environments around the world. Its rich history, coupled with its practical and aesthetic uses, ensures that the Cordofan-pea continues to be a subject of fascination and appreciation in botanical circles and beyond.

Common Names

Eng: asian pigeonwings, darwin-pea, blue-pea, bluebellvine, butterfly-pea, cordofan-pea, blue pea
Spa: azulejo, conchitas, papito, zapatico de la reina, zapotillo
Deu: blaue klitorie
Por: clitória-azul, cunhã, ervilha-borboleta, feijão-borboleta
Swe: himmelsärt
Fra: honte
En: Cordofan-pea, Butterfly-pea, Darwin-pea, Blue-pea, Bluebellvine, Asian pigeonwings, Blue Pidgeon-wings, Butterfly pea, Kembang telang, Kembhâng bungo, अपराजिता, Blue pea, Aral, Asian Pigeon Wings, Asian Pigeon-wings, Aug Chan, Bang San ‘Khao, Bang San Deng, Blue Vine, Bong Biet, Butterfly Bean, Chandra Kanta, Concha Blanca, Conchita Azul, Conchita Blanca, Diego, Hab Al Zherate, Jungle Lau Bakal, Kalina, Kembang Tlang Bulu Ad Mda, Kordofan Pea, Liane Madame, Liane Polisson, Liane Ternate, Mella, Minni, Mussel-shell Creeper, Oung Mai Phyu, Pai Noung Ni, Pigeon wings, Sanka, Scaly Buckler-fern, Vishnu Kantisoppu, Zapatico de la Reina, Bluebell
As: অপৰাজিতা
Bn: অপরাজিতা
Bg: Трилистна клитория
My: အောင်မဲညို
Zh: Die dou, 蝶豆
Cs: Klitorie ternatská
Nl: Kittelbloem
Fi: Siniherne
Fr: Honte, Pois-savane, Liane madame, Clitorie de Ternate, Lentille Sauvage
De: Blaue Klitorie
Gu: શંખપુષ્પી
Hi: अपराजिता
Id: Kembang telang
Jv: Kembang teleng
Kn: ಶಂಖಪುಷ್ಪ
Ms: Pokok Telang
Ml: ശംഖുപുഷ്പം
Mr: गोकर्णी
Ne: अपराजिता
Or: ଅପରାଜିତା ଫୁଲ
Pa: ਅਪਰਾਜਿਤਾ
Pl: Klitoria ternateńska
Pt: Clitória-azul, Cunhã, Ervilha-borboleta, Feijão-borboleta
Pt-br: Clitória
Ru: Клитория тройчатая
Sa: अपराजिता
Es: Azulejo, Papito, Zapatico de la reina, Zapotillo, Conchitas, Bejuco de Conchitas, Conchita, Deleite, Papitos
Sv: Himmelsärt
Zh-tw: 蝶豆
Ta: கருவிளை
Te: శంఖపుష్పం
Th: อัญชัน
To: Paipa
Zh-hant: 蝶豆
Vi: Chi Đậu biếc

Synonyms

• Clitoria philippensis (Perr.)
• Deguelia javanica ((Miq.) Taub.)
• Clitoria zanzibarensis (Vatke)
• Nauchea ternatea ((L.) J.T.Descourt.)
• Clitoria ternatea f. flaviflora (Chiov.)
• Clitoria ternatea f. albiflora ((Voigt) Fantz)
• Clitoria ternatea var. major (Paxton)
• Clitoria mearnsii (De Wild.)
• Clitoria bracteata (Poir.)
• Pterocarpus javanicus ((Miq.) Kuntze)
• Wisteria dubia (Walp.)
• Ternatea indica (J.St.-Hil.)
• Phaseolus clitorius (Noronha)
• Clitoria tanganicensis (Micheli)
• Nauchea bracteata (Dupuis ex J.T.Descourt.)
• Clitoria ternatensium (Crantz)
• Ternatea vulgaris (Kunth)
• Clitoria ternatea var. albiflora (Voigt)
• Clitoria ternatea var. angustifolia (Hochst. ex Baker f.)
• Clitoria parviflora (Raf.)
• Ternatea ternatea ((L.) Kuntze)
• Clitoria ternatea var. alba (Berhaut)
• Clitoria ternatea f. fasciculata (Fantz)
• Clitoria ternatea var. pleniflora (Fantz)
• Clitoria ternatea var. bracteata ((Poir.) DC.)
• Clitoria spectabilis (Salisb.)
• Derris javanica (Miq.)
• Lathyrus spectabilis (Forssk.)
• Clitoria ternatea f. subpolyadelpha (Fantz)
• Clitoria albiflora (Mattei)
• Clitoria ternatea f. leucopetala (Fantz)

Distribution

• Angola (native)
• Benin (native)
• Burkina (native)
• Burundi (native)
• Cameroon (native)
• Cape Verde (native)
• Caprivi Strip (native)
• Central African Repu (native)
• China South-Central (native)
• China Southeast (native)
• Eritrea (native)
• Ethiopia (native)
• Gabon (native)
• Gambia (native)
• Ghana (native)
• Guinea (native)
• Guinea-Bissau (native)
• Gulf of Guinea Is. (native)
• Hainan (native)
• Kenya (native)
• Malawi (native)
• Mauritania (native)
• Mozambique (native)
• Namibia (native)
• Nigeria (native)
• Northern Provinces (native)
• Saudi Arabia (native)
• Senegal (native)
• Sierra Leone (native)
• Somalia (native)
• Sudan (native)
• Taiwan (native)
• Tanzania (native)
• Togo (native)
• Uganda (native)
• Yemen (native)
• Zambia (native)
• Zaïre (native)
• Zimbabwe (native)
• Aldabra (introduced)
• Andaman Is. (introduced)
• Aruba (introduced)
• Assam (introduced)
• Bahamas (introduced)
• Bangladesh (introduced)
• Belize (introduced)
• Bismarck Archipelago (introduced)
• Borneo (introduced)
• Brazil North (introduced)
• Brazil Northeast (introduced)
• Brazil Southeast (introduced)
• Brazil West-Central (introduced)
• Cambodia (introduced)
• Canary Is. (introduced)
• Caroline Is. (introduced)
• Cayman Is. (introduced)
• Chad (introduced)
• Christmas I. (introduced)
• Colombia (introduced)
• Comoros (introduced)
• Cook Is. (introduced)
• Cuba (introduced)
• Dominican Republic (introduced)
• East Himalaya (introduced)
• Ecuador (introduced)
• Egypt (introduced)
• Fiji (introduced)
• French Guiana (introduced)
• Galápagos (introduced)
• Gilbert Is. (introduced)
• Haiti (introduced)
• Hawaii (introduced)
• Honduras (introduced)
• India (introduced)
• Iraq (introduced)
• Jamaica (introduced)
• Jawa (introduced)
• Laccadive Is. (introduced)
• Laos (introduced)
• Leeward Is. (introduced)
• Lesser Sunda Is. (introduced)
• Madagascar (introduced)
• Malaya (introduced)
• Maldives (introduced)
• Marianas (introduced)
• Mauritius (introduced)
• Mexico Southwest (introduced)
• Myanmar (introduced)
• Nepal (introduced)
• Netherlands Antilles (introduced)
• New Caledonia (introduced)
• New Guinea (introduced)
• Nicobar Is. (introduced)
• Niger (introduced)
• Northern Territory (introduced)
• Pakistan (introduced)
• Peru (introduced)
• Philippines (introduced)
• Puerto Rico (introduced)
• Queensland (introduced)
• Seychelles (introduced)
• Society Is. (introduced)
• Solomon Is. (introduced)
• Southwest Caribbean (introduced)
• Sri Lanka (introduced)
• Sulawesi (introduced)
• Sumatera (introduced)
• Suriname (introduced)
• Thailand (introduced)
• Tonga (introduced)
• Trinidad-Tobago (introduced)
• Tubuai Is. (introduced)
• Venezuela (introduced)
• Venezuelan Antilles (introduced)
• Vietnam (introduced)
• Western Australia (introduced)
• Windward Is. (introduced)

Additional Images

Fruit

Taken Jun 4, 2022 by NP7 (cc-by-sa)

Taken Aug 12, 2022 by Manuel Seitz (cc-by-sa)

Taken Jan 25, 2020 by Chee Keong Chan (cc-by-sa)

Taken Mar 21, 2018 by Tela Botanica − Liliane ROUBAUDI (cc-by-sa)

Taken Mar 10, 2022 by Luis Garlatti (cc-by-sa)

Flower

Taken Oct 1, 2021 by kiran baghel (cc-by-sa)

Taken Nov 14, 2021 by Mathilde Barret (cc-by-sa)

Taken Sep 25, 2021 by Mike (cc-by-sa)

Taken Jul 7, 2021 by Nagalingeswaran Veerapa (cc-by-sa)

Taken Jan 14, 2019 by aisyah Nizam (cc-by-sa)

Leaf

Taken Sep 9, 2022 by Om Prakash (cc-by-sa)

Taken Jan 16, 2022 by Aryan Ranjan (cc-by-sa)

Taken Sep 25, 2021 by Mike (cc-by-sa)

Taken Nov 20, 2022 by Marta Assumpção (cc-by-sa)

Taken Jul 27, 2017 by Siddharth (cc-by-sa)

© copyright of the Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

© copyright of the Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

© copyright of the Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Habit

Taken Jan 1, 1900 by EOL − Bart Wursten (cc-by-nc)

Taken Aug 3, 2021 by Sébastien TRASBOT (cc-by-sa)

Taken Aug 12, 2022 by Manuel Seitz (cc-by-sa)

Taken Dec 11, 2021 by Jean Paul Giraud (cc-by-sa)

Taken Nov 2, 2022 by Sudhanshu Kumar (cc-by-sa)

Bark

Taken Aug 3, 2021 by Sébastien TRASBOT (cc-by-sa)

Taken Dec 14, 2021 by Radhika Sugreevu (cc-by-sa)

Taken Nov 13, 2022 by IMMORTAL_2209 (cc-by-sa)

Taken Nov 24, 2022 by Chronos Drako (cc-by-sa)

Taken Feb 2, 2018 by huy HO (cc-by-sa)

Other

Taken Dec 28, 2019 by susan brown (cc-by-sa)

Taken May 18, 2019 by Prakash Rudraraju (cc-by-sa)

Taken Sep 4, 2022 by Sana Ansari (cc-by-sa)

Taken Nov 14, 2013 by Tela Botanica − Liliane ROUBAUDI (cc-by-sa)

Taken Feb 25, 2022 by Soares Lopes Eduiges (cc-by-sa)

Sources

• GBIF (https://www.gbif.org/species/2946519)
• POWO (http://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:486606-1)
• PlantNet (https://identify.plantnet.org/species/the-plant-list/Clitoria ternatea L.)
• WFO (No URL)
• IPNI (No URL)

Specifications

Growth