A perennial high-climbing, twining vine growing to 2m. Leaves trifoliate; leafletsare more or less triangular, tapering to an acute point, about 3-6 in (7.6-15 cm) long and almost as wide at the widest point. Flower pale sky blue, some are white, and others are reddish brown; larger than green bean flowers, a little more than 1 in (2.5 cm) long, and hang in loose clusters of 2-10 flowers. Pods have four leafy wings with frilly edges running lengthwise on the pods.

Anthelminthic, antibacterial, anticancer, antiedemic, anti-HIV, antiinflammatory, antileukemic, antimalarial, antimelanomic, antinociceptive, antiplasmodial, antiseptic, antitumor, antiviral, aphrodisiac, apoptotic, cytotoxic, depurative, phospholipase-A2 inhibitor (flowers, pods, seeds and roots).

Floridata
Edible and Medicinal Plants

Alanine, alpha-linolenic acid, arginine, aspartic acid, cystine, erucic acid, glutamic acid, glycine, histidine, isoleucine, linoleic acid, lysine, methionine, myristic acid, oleic acid, palmitic acid, phenylalanine, serine, stearic acid, threonine, tryptophan, tyrosine, valine (leaf); ascorbic acid, beta-carotene (fruit); betulinic acid (root); HCN (stem); folacin, niacin, riboflavin, thiamin (seed).

The flowers, pods, seeds and roots are used in treating anemia, bacterial infections, boils, cancer, brain tumors, candidal infections, diabetes, dyspepsia, edema, fungal infections, glioblastoma, HIV, leukemia, malaria, medulloblastoma, melanoma, neuroblastoma, obesity, ophthalmia, otosis, pain, smallpox, swelling, toothache, venereal diseases, vertigo, viral infections and worm troubles.

James A Duke and Maryl Fulton. Handbook of Medicinal Herbs - 2nd Edition, P: 786, CRC Press July 2002.