Calopo

Calopogonium mucunoides

It is a vigorous, hairy annual or short–lived perennial trailing legume. It can reach several meters in length and form a dense, tangled mass of foliage, 30-50 cm deep. The root system is dense and shallow, at most 50 cm deep. The stems are succulent, covered with long, brown hairs. They are creeping in the lower parts, sometimes rooting at the nodes that come in contact with the soil. The upper part of the stem is twining. The leaves are up to 16 cm long and trifoliate. The hairy leaflets are 4-10 cm long x 2-5 cm broad, ovate to elliptical. The inflorescence is a slender hairy raceme that may be up to 20 cm long and bears 2 to 12 blue or purple small flowers. The Fruits are 3-8 seeded hairy pods, 2-4 cm long.