Kiwach / Portuguese Coffee
Mucuna pruriens var. utilis
Also known as Velvetbean, Picapica, Mauritius Bean, Café Brazilii, Bengal Bean
- Habit
- Climber
- Found in India
- Sikkim
- Flowering
- June-December
Plant Details
- Scientific name
- Mucuna pruriens var. utilis
- Genus
- Mucuna
- Family
- Fabaceae
- Habit
- Climber
- Habitat
- Cultivated
- Habitat type
- Cultivated
- Native to
- Southeast Asia
- Found in India
- Sikkim
- Flowering & fruiting
- June-December
- Conservation status
- NE
Leaf characters
- Leaf type
- TrifoliaterecordedA compound leaf made of exactly three leaflets.
- Leaf shape
- OvaterecordedEgg-shaped, broader near the base.“The leaves are tripinnate, ovate, reverse ovate, rhombus-shaped or widely ovate.” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Leaf surface
- Hirsute (coarsely hairy)recorded
Typical of the family
- Arrangement
- Alternate
Characters marked “recorded” are for Kiwach itself; the rest are typical of the Fabaceae family.
Flower & fruit characters
- Flower colour
- PurplerecordedPurple or violet
- Flower arrangement
- HeadrecordedA dense, tight cluster of many small stalkless flowers, packed into a rounded or flat head.“The flower heads take the form of axially arrayed panicles.” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Fruit surface
- HairyrecordedCovered in visible hairs or fuzz.
Typical of the family
- Flower symmetry
- Zygomorphic (bilaterally symmetrical)
- Inflorescence
- Raceme
- Fruit
- Legume
Characters marked “recorded” are for Kiwach itself; the rest are typical of the Fabaceae family — flowering plants only.
Local Names
- Hindi
- Kiwach
- Nepali
- काउसे सिमी Kaause Simee
- Bengali
- Akolchi
- Telugu
- Pilliadugu
- Kannada
- ನಸುಗುನ್ನಿ Nasugunni, ನೊಸಗೊನ್ನೆ Nosagonne, ನಾಯಿಸೊಣಗುಬಳ್ಳಿ Nayisonanguballi
- Malayalam
- Naicorna
- Marathi
- खाज कुइरी Khaj-kuiri
Kiwach in India
This climbing legume, known as Kiwach (Hindi), Pilliadugu (Telugu), ನಸುಗುನ್ನಿ Nasugunni (Kannada), Naicorna (Malayalam), खाज कुइरी Khaj-kuiri (Marathi), Akolchi (Bengali), is best known for its intensely irritant seed pods. Mucuna pruriens is found across Sikkim, often scrambling over hedges and fences.
Uses
Its seeds have a long history of traditional Ayurvedic use, and in some regions the young pods, after careful preparation to remove the irritant hairs, are cooked as a vegetable — an attributed traditional use, not a medical claim.
How to Identify Kiwach
A twining vine with trifoliate leaves. Purple, hanging flower clusters are followed by curved, densely hairy pods covered in fine, barbed hairs that cause intense itching on contact — the plant's most distinctive and cautionary feature.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is Portuguese Coffee called in different Indian languages?
- Kiwach (Hindi); Pilliadugu (Telugu); ನಸುಗುನ್ನಿ Nasugunni (Kannada); Naicorna (Malayalam); खाज कुइरी Khaj-kuiri (Marathi); Akolchi (Bengali).
- Why does touching the pods itch so much?
- The pods are covered in fine, barbed hairs containing an irritant compound that lodges in skin on contact, causing intense itching — handle them only with care, never bare-handed.
- Is velvet bean the same as cowhage?
- Yes — 'cowhage' and 'velvet bean' are both common English names for Mucuna pruriens, referring to the same itch-inducing pods.
Fabaceae
Legume/Bean family
Kiwach belongs to the Fabaceae family.
The illustration represents the family — not necessarily this exact species.
Explore the Fabaceae family →Snap it. Know it.
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Common plant problems
All plant problem & care guides →More in Fabaceae
View all Fabaceae →Sources: GBIF — Mucuna pruriens var. utilis (India distribution & vernacular names) (CC BY 4.0) · Wikipedia — Mucuna pruriens var. utilis (background/comprehension only) (CC BY-SA 4.0)