Apios fortunei, commonly known as hodo, hodoimo, groundnut, or potatobean,[1][2][3][4] is a tuber-forming member of the bean family.
| Apios fortunei | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Fabales |
| Family: | Fabaceae |
| Subfamily: | Faboideae |
| Genus: | Apios |
| Species: | A. fortunei |
| Binomial name | |
| Apios fortunei | |
The plant is a perennial climbing vine.[1][3] The leaves are ovate or lanceolate, pinnate with 3–7 leaflets, and 3–7 centimetres (1–3 in) long.[3] The flowers are whitish green, sometimes tinted light yellowish with a red-to-purple wing petal edge, or sulphurous green with rosy wing petals;[1][3] they form pseudoracemes or terminal panicles, 6–26 centimetres (2+1⁄2–10 in) long.[3] The fruit is a linear legume, 7–8 cm long and 5–6 millimetres (3⁄16–1⁄4 in) wide.[3]
Chemically, the tubers contain starch as their predominant carbohydrate, along with smaller amounts of sucrose and glucose, and almost no fructose.[1]
The species is native to Eastern China and Japan.[1][2][3][4] In the wild, it is often found near brooks.[1] It is one of three species in the genus known to produce edible tubers, although it has generally been considered an emergency food source as well as a medicinal plant.[1][2][3] The flowers are showy and have ornamental potential.[1]
References
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