How big can the tuber grow?

It can grow very large over several years, sometimes reaching many kilograms in weight, which is part of why it's been sought out in traditional practice.

Is this related to kudzu?

Yes — it belongs to the same genus (Pueraria) as kudzu, the notoriously invasive vine in parts of the world, though Pueraria tuberosa is not considered similarly invasive in India.

Three leaflets
As recorded for Bankumara

✿Fabaceae · Pueraria

Pueraria tuberosa

Bankumara / Tuberous Honey Suckle बनकुमड़ा

Hindi name · See all regional names ↓

Also known as Indian Kudzu

Native in Indian regions · Kew WCVPLianaMedicinal

Habit: Liana
Found in India: Maharashtra, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand & more
Flowering: December-June

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One plant. Many familiar names.

Bankumara in regional languages

Find the name you know, then compare it with the botanical profile. Columns list recorded aliases; they are not paired translations. A Latin spelling appears only when it is present in the source record.

Recorded regional names for Bankumara
Language	Regional script	Recorded Latin spelling
Hindi	बनकुमड़ा · बिलाई कन्द · सुराल	Bankumara, Bilayi Kand, Sural, bilai kand
Nepali	बिरालि कन्द · देब्रे लारा	Birali Kanda, Debre Laaraa
Bengali	শিমিআ বাতরাজী · পুয়েরারিয়া টিউবারোসা · শিমিআবাতরাজী	Shimia Batraji
Tamil	கரிக்கும்மடி · நிலப்பூசனி	Karikkummati, Nila-P-Pucani
Telugu	దారి గుమ్మడి · కుబాయ తీగ · నేల గుమ్మడి	Dari Gummadi, Kubaaya Thige, Nela Gummadi
Kannada	ಭೂ ಸಕ್ಕರೆ ಗಡ್ಡೆ · ಗುಮಡಿ ಗಿಡ · ಗುಮ್ಮಡಿ ಗಿಡ · ವಿದಾರಿ ಕಂದ	Bhoo Sakkare Gadde, Gumadi Gida
Malayalam	മുതുക്ക്	Muthukku
Marathi	बेंदरवेल · भरडा · भुईकोहळा · घोडवेल	Bendarvel, Bharada, Bhuikohala
Gujarati	ભોંયકોળું	Not recorded
Odia	ଭୂଇଁ କଖାରୁ	Not recorded
Punjabi	ਸਿਆਲੀ	Not recorded
Urdu	بداری کند	Not recorded

See the original recorded names

Hindi: बनकुमड़ा Bankumara, बिलाई कन्द Bilayi Kand, सुराल Sural,बिलाई कन्द bilai kand
Nepali: बिरालि कन्द Birali Kanda, देब्रे लारा Debre Laaraa
Bengali: শিমিআ বাতরাজী Shimia Batraji, পুয়েরারিয়া টিউবারোসা, শিমিআবাতরাজী
Tamil: கரிக்கும்மடி Karikkummati, நிலப்பூசனி Nila-P-Pucani, கரிக்கும்மடி
Telugu: దారి గుమ్మడి Dari Gummadi, కుబాయ తీగ Kubaaya Thige, నేల గుమ్మడి Nela Gummadi, దారి గుమ్మడి
Kannada: ಭೂ ಸಕ್ಕರೆ ಗಡ್ಡೆ Bhoo Sakkare Gadde, ಗುಮಡಿ ಗಿಡ Gumadi Gida, ಗುಮ್ಮಡಿ ಗಿಡ, ವಿದಾರಿ ಕಂದ
Malayalam: മുതുക്ക് Muthukku, മുതുക്ക്
Marathi: बेंदरवेल Bendarvel, भरडा Bharada, भुईकोहळा Bhuikohala, घोडवेल
Gujarati: ભોંયકોળું
Odia: ଭୂଇଁ କଖାରୁ
Punjabi: ਸਿਆਲੀ
Urdu: بداری کند

Ecology & growing context

Native status · Kew WCVP: WCVP native range includes Assam, India, West Himalaya Kew dataset ↗
Kew WCVP dataset; accepted-name match. Dataset matching is separate from an individual regional review. Recorded worldwide native range: Indian Subcontinent.
Recorded habitat: Dry and moist deciduous forests
Explore nearby plants: Maharashtra →Himachal Pradesh →Uttarakhand →

Occurrence records show where a plant has been recorded; they do not establish that it is native there. Compare local habitat and growing conditions when choosing plants for a garden.

How to identify Bankumara

Identify Bankumara by combining habit, leaf characters, flower or fruit details, location, and its family pattern. Do not rely on one feature alone.

Look for a liana habit.
Confirm leaf arrangement: Alternate.
Confirm leaf type: Trifoliate.
Confirm flower colour: Purple.
In season, compare flowering and fruiting time: December-June.
In India, compare location records such as Maharashtra, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Jharkhand and nearby regions.
Confirm it sits within the Fabaceae family pattern, then compare close relatives before deciding it is Bankumara.

Plant Details

Scientific name: Pueraria tuberosa
Genus: Pueraria
Family: Fabaceae
Habit: Liana
Habitat: Dry and moist deciduous forests
Habitat type: Forest
Distribution: Tropical Himalayas, India, Nepal, Pakistan
Found in India: Maharashtra, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Jharkhand, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Arunachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, West Bengal
Flowering & fruiting: December-June
Conservation status: Not Evaluated (NE)

Leaf characters

Leaf arrangement: AlternaterecordedOne leaf per node, arranged in a spiral or zigzag up the stem.“Leaves are trifoliate and alternate, while the leaflets are egg-shaped, with round base and unequal sides.” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
Leaf type: TrifoliaterecordedA compound leaf made of exactly three leaflets.“Leaves are trifoliate and alternate, while the leaflets are egg-shaped, with round base and unequal sides.” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
Leaf shape: OvaterecordedEgg-shaped, broader near the base.“Leaves are trifoliate and alternate, while the leaflets are egg-shaped, with round base and unequal sides.” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
Leaf surface: Pubescent (softly hairy)recorded

Typical of the family

Margin: Entire
Venation: Pinnate

Characters marked “recorded” are for Bankumara itself; the rest are typical of the Fabaceae family.

Flower & fruit characters

Flower colour: PurplerecordedPurple or violet

Typical of the family

Flower symmetry: Zygomorphic (bilaterally symmetrical)
Inflorescence: Raceme
Fruit: Legume

Characters marked “recorded” are for Bankumara itself; the rest are typical of the Fabaceae family — flowering plants only.

Bankumara in India

This climbing vine, known as बनकुमड़ा Bankumara (Hindi), கரிக்கும்மடி Karikkummati (Tamil), దారి గుమ్మడి Dari Gummadi (Telugu), ಭೂ ಸಕ್ಕರೆ ಗಡ್ಡೆ Bhoo Sakkare Gadde (Kannada), മുതുക്ക് Muthukku (Malayalam), बेंदरवेल Bendarvel (Marathi), is valued for its large underground tuber. Pueraria tuberosa is found across Maharashtra, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Jharkhand, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, typically climbing through deciduous forest.

Uses

Its large starchy tuber has a long history of traditional Ayurvedic use — an attributed traditional use, not a medical claim.

How to Identify Bankumara

A vigorous woody climber with trifoliate leaves. Clusters of blue-purple pea-like flowers appear before the leaves in the dry season, followed by flat, bristly pods. The plant's most distinctive feature lies underground: a very large, sometimes massive, starchy tuberous root.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Tuberous Honey Suckle called in different Indian languages?: बनकुमड़ा Bankumara (Hindi); கரிக்கும்மடி Karikkummati (Tamil); దారి గుమ్మడి Dari Gummadi (Telugu); ಭೂ ಸಕ್ಕರೆ ಗಡ್ಡೆ Bhoo Sakkare Gadde (Kannada); മുതുക്ക് Muthukku (Malayalam); बेंदरवेल Bendarvel (Marathi); শিমিআ বাতরাজী Shimia Batraji (Bengali); ભોંયકોળું (Gujarati); ଭୂଇଁ କଖାରୁ (Odia); ਸਿਆਲੀ (Punjabi).
How big can the tuber grow?: It can grow very large over several years, sometimes reaching many kilograms in weight, which is part of why it's been sought out in traditional practice.
Is this related to kudzu?: Yes — it belongs to the same genus (Pueraria) as kudzu, the notoriously invasive vine in parts of the world, though Pueraria tuberosa is not considered similarly invasive in India.

Botanical family

Fabaceae

Legume/Bean family

Bankumara belongs to the Fabaceae family.

The illustration represents the family — not necessarily this exact species.

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Common plant problems

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More in Fabaceae

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Sources: GBIF — Pueraria tuberosa (India distribution & vernacular names) (CC BY 4.0) · Wikipedia — Pueraria tuberosa (background/comprehension only) (CC BY-SA 4.0)