Egyptian Bean (Noun)
Meaning
Perennial twining vine of Old World tropics having trifoliate leaves and racemes of fragrant purple pea-like flowers followed by maroon pods of edible seeds; grown as an ornamental and as a vegetable on the Indian subcontinent; sometimes placed in genus Dolichos.
Classification
Nouns denoting plants.
Examples
- The lablab or hyacinth bean, also known as the egyptian bean, is grown in the southern United States for its showy purple flowers.
- In warm climates the egyptian bean serves as an attractive and easy to care for flowering vine that is a popular choice for home gardeners.
- Some sources suggest the egyptian bean can grow as long as twenty five feet tall.
- It's easy to mistake the seed pods of the egyptian bean with cranberries when the plant has matured and is ripe.
- While they may not be commonly used as such, the young shoots of the egyptian bean are edible.