379

Abrus precatorius L. 

Family	:	Fabaceae
Local name	:	English- Bead Vine,  Malayalam - Kunni, Kunnikuru
Flowering and fruiting period	:	October-May
Distribution	:	Pantropical
Distribution in kerala	:	All Districts
Habitat	:	Deciduous forests, also in the plains
Uses	:	Laxative, expectorant and aphrodisiac medicines and are used in urticaria, eczema, stomatitis, conjunctivitis, alopecia areata, migraine, lymphomas/leukemia and dysmenorrhoea
Key Botanical Characters: Woody perennial twining shrubs; young stems puberulent. Leaves even-pinnate; leaflets 12-16 pairs, 0.8-2.5 x 0.4-1 cm, oblong to elliptic, base and apex obtuse, lower surface sparsely pubescent. Flowers pink, in axillary racemes; bracts deltoid, minute; bracteoles c. 1mm across, suborbicular. Calyx 2-4 mm long, hispid. Petals 9-12 mm long. Stamens 9, monadelphous. Ovary subsessile, many ovuled; style incurved. Pods 3-4 x 1-1.5 cm, oblong, slightly inflated, fulvo-puberulent; seeds many, 5-7 x 4-5 mm, subglobose, scarlet red with black eyes.