Clitoria ternatea L.

Clitoria ternatea L.

Synonyms:

• Asian pigeon wings
• Blue pea
• Darwin pea
• Butterfly pea
• Sangupushpam (Malayalam)
• Gokarni (Hindi)

Family: Fabaceae

Plant morphology:

       Clitoria ternatea is a perennial herbaceous plant. Its stem is woody at the base. The leaves are pinnate. Flowers are solitary and have a deep blue or white colour. Fruits are 5-7 cm long, flat pods with six to ten seeds in each pod. Its roots form a symbiotic association with rhizobia, which transform atmospheric N₂ into a plant usable form (Nitrogen fixation).

Chemical constituents:

       It contains anthocyanins, steroids, triterpenoids, etc.

Uses:

• It is grown as an ornamental plant.
• The flower is used as a natural food colouring to colour glutinous rice.