Abrus precatorius
(Common name:- Rosary pea)
Classification
- Kingdom : Plantae
- Division- Magnoliophyta
- Class- Magnoliopsida
- Order- Fabales
- Family- Fabaceae
- Genus- Abrus
- Species- A.precatorius
Rosary pea is an ornamental plant and an efficient abortifacient
herb.
History
The range of this herb is native of India and other parts of Asia. It is
small shrub with alternatively compound leaves.
The plant is an ornamental in some parts of world though it is highly
toxic.
The red seeds of rosary pea are used in jewellery.
Plant Description
The plant is small tropical climbing vine that grows indigenous in
Indonesia and Surinam.
The flowers are small pale violet coloured that are arranged in cluster.
The leaves are alternate 5-13cm long and pinnately compound with 5-15
pairs of leaflets.
The fruit is a small oblong red colour pod with a black base splitting
before as if it will fall is hard seeds of about 6-7 mm long.
Cultivation
Abrus is widely cultivated as a garden ornamental plant due to its
beautiful seed pods.
It can be commonly seen as weed of roadside, garden, disturbed sites and
waterways sites of eastern Australia.
It has become naturalized and cultivated in northern Australia,
south-eastern Asia, tropical Asia and western pacific.
Parts Used
Seed pods are used
Uses
- Rosary pea is generally known as an abortefacient herb that induces
abortion. The powder or tablets of this herb is used as oral
contraceptive.
- The seed pods of rosary are used in jewelry in many parts of world.
Some where it is used as beads and some uses in necklaces to be worn in
neck.
- The rosary plant is traditionally used in medicines to treat sores
and scratches, poisonous wounds. The leaves are thought to have
anti-suppurative properties.
- In certain parts of India the boiled seeds are used to eat.
- The seeds are also used to cure diabetes and chronic nephritis.
Names
- English-: Black-eyed Susan, Coral-beadplant, Crab's eyes, Indian
licorice, Jamaican licorice, Jequirity, Jequirity bean, Jumbie beads,
Jumble beads, Licorice vine, Love bean, Love nut, Lucky bean, Minnie
minnies, Prayer beads, Prayer beans, Precatory, Precatory bean, Red
beadvine, Rosary pea, Weatherplant, Weathervine, Wild liquorice.
- French-Cascavelle (Réunion), Graine diable (Réunion),
Herbe de diable (Réunion), Soldat (Réunion), Réglisse
(Réunion), Réglisse marron, Pater noster (Réunion),
Jéquirity, Grain d'église, Pois rouge.
- German-: Paternoster-Erbse.
- Burmese-: Ywe gale, Ywe nge.
- Madurese-: Ga'saga'an lakek.