Traditional Green Vegetables: The Plants

Cowpea  (Vigna unguiculata), kunde (Kiswahili), mathoroko (Kikuyu), likhuvi (Luhya), a lot-bo (Luo), kunde (Kamba), egesale (Kisii), kunde (Kipsigis), Kiyindiru (Luganda).  A climbing, spreading or erect annual herb belonging to the family Leguminoseae (Papilionaceae).  Cowpeas are native to Africa where it was domesticated over 4000 years ago.  The crop exhibits much variation in growth habit, leaf shape, flower colour and seed size and colour.  Cowpeas are started from seed planted about 20 to 40 cm apart and are often grown as an intercrop with maize.  When produced as a green vegetable, it is commonly grown as a monocrop in rows 30 to 40 cm apart with 8 to 12 cm between plants.  The dried seeds, fresh seeds, pods, leaves and young stems are edible.  Tender cowpea leaves and shoots contain 4% protein, 4% carbohydrates and are rich in calcium, phosphorus and vitamin B.  Dried seeds contain 22% protein and 61% carbohydrates.  The leaves may be dried and stored for later use.   Cowpeas are tolerant of drought and low light conditions, but are very susceptible to a variety of insects and diseases.  Cowpeas that are sprayed with pesticides should not be eaten as leaves.  One additional benefit of cultivating cowpeas is its ability to fix atmospheric nitrogen in root nodules through symbiosis with rhizobium bacteria.