Vigna unguiculata - Flora of Qatar

The cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) is one of several species of the widely cultivated genus Vigna. Four subspecies are recognised, of which three are cultivated (more exist, including V. textilis, V. pubescens, and V. sinensis):[+]

Cowpeas are one of the most important food legume crops in the semiarid tropics covering Asia, Africa, southern Europe, and Central and South America. A drought-tolerant and warm-weather crop, cowpeas are well-adapted to the drier regions of the tropics, where other food legumes do not perform well. It also has the useful ability to fix atmospheric nitrogen through its root nodules, and it grows well in poor soils with more than 85% sand and with less than 0.2% organic matter and low levels of phosphorus. In addition, it is shade tolerant, so is compatible as an intercrop with maize, millet, sorghum, sugarcane, and cotton. This makes cowpeas an important component of traditional intercropping systems, especially in the complex and elegant subsistence farming systems of the dry savannas in sub-Saharan Africa. In these systems the haulm (dried stalks) of cowpea is a valuable by-product, used as animal feed.

Research in Ghana found that selecting early generations of cowpea crops to increase yield is not an effective strategy. Francis Padi from the Savannah Agricultural Research Institute in Tamale, Ghana, writing in Crop Science, suggests other methods such as bulk breeding are more efficient in developing high-yield varieties.

According to the USDA food database, the leaves of the cowpea plant have the highest percentage of calories from protein among vegetarian foods.

AI-generated Description

Vigna unguiculata, also known as cowpea, is a legume native to Africa. In Qatar, it has been found to be a wild or naturalized species. Studies have shown that Vigna unguiculata grows in the country's coastal and inland areas, often in sandy soils. It is a drought-tolerant plant with potential for use as a forage crop or in reclamation of degraded lands in Qatar's arid environment.

AI-generated summary of observations

Observations of Vigna unguiculata in Qatar revealed the presence of blue flowers in various areas of Doha. On April 1, 2015, blue flowers were spotted on Al Wosail Street in Lejbailat area, with photos taken against both natural and white backgrounds. Similarly, on April 27, 2015, a blue flower was observed on Al Wosail Street in Onaiza area, with photos taken against dark and natural backgrounds. The consistent appearance of blue flowers suggests that this is a common color variation of Vigna unguiculata in Qatar. The observations were made in different areas and on different dates, indicating that the plant may be widely distributed and flowering at different times in Doha.

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Acknowledgements

QNHG (Qatar Natural History Group) and associated people, for a possibility to participate in their field excursions and to learn about local nature.

Vigna unguiculata (L.)Walp.

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Extract from Wikipedia article