Bankumara / Tuberous Honey Suckle
Pueraria tuberosa
Also known as Indian Kudzu
- Habit
- Liana
- Found in India
- Maharashtra, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand & more
- Flowering
- December-June
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
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.
Local 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
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.
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
All plant problem & care guides →More in Fabaceae
View all Fabaceae →Sources: GBIF — Pueraria tuberosa (India distribution & vernacular names) (CC BY 4.0) · Wikipedia — Pueraria tuberosa (background/comprehension only) (CC BY-SA 4.0)