return to: checklist; family Fabaceae subfamily Papilionoideae; keys
Coarse
herbaceous liana arising from an enlarged edible rootstock; leaves
alternate, trifoliolate; leaflets deeply and irregularly lobed,
base obtuse to rounded, margin entire, apex obtuse, acute or acuminate;
inflorescence a raceme; flowers bluish purple.
Additional images:
Cultivated forms, known as jicama (Pachyrrhizos tuberosus) difers only slightly from this, the presumed wild ancestor. The roots are crisp, watery and somewhat sweet, commonly consumed raw.
