Mucuna pruriens
(L.) DC. · speciesAt a glance
Sources15 archives
Databases and archives Mucuna pruriens's data was compiled from.
WikipediaWikimedia Foundation20 languages↗
BioWikiNetmultilingual Wikipediamultilingual↗
GBIFGlobal Biodiversity Information Facility2 537 records↗
ENAEuropean Nucleotide Archive · EMBL-EBI13 eDNA detections↗
BOLD SystemsCentre for Biodiversity Genomics14 specimens↗
dukesphytochemcompounds
LOTUSNatural Products (Wikidata)compounds↗
NPASSNat. Product Activity & Species Sourcecompounds↗
GRIN TaxonomyUSDA-ARSdistribution & uses↗
Open Tree of LifeOpenTreephylogeny backbone↗
CCDBChromosome Counts DB · Tel Aviv U.genome & karyotype↗
GoaTGenomes on a Tree · Sangergenome & karyotype↗
NCBIUS National Library of Medicinegenome & karyotype↗
PloiDBPloidy Databasegenome & karyotype
GLoBIGlobal Biotic Interactionsbiotic interactions↗Every layer below draws on the sources above — open one to explore it, or use ← → to move between tabs.
Mucuna pruriens is a tropical legume native to Africa and tropical Asia and widely naturalized and cultivated. Its English common names include monkey tamarind, velvet bean, Bengal velvet bean, Florida velvet bean, Mauritius velvet bean, Yokohama velvet bean, cowage, cowitch, lacuna bean, and Lyon bean. The plant is notorious for the extreme itchiness it produces on contact, particularly with the young foliage and the seed pods. It also produces many medium-sized red swollen bumps along with the itching. It has agricultural and horticultural value and is used in herbalism.
No narrative description available for this taxon yet.
Size & morphology5
Life cycle & reproduction6
Diet & foraging1
Habitat & environment12
Physiology & chemistry2
Compounds documented for Mucuna pruriens across natural-product and food-composition databases — not just the ~150 nutrients on a classic label ("nutritional dark matter").
Compound class profile5 classes
Documented compounds102 total
| Compound | Class | Amount | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| CARBOHYDRATES | 667,000 ppm | DukesPhytochem | |
| PROTEIN | 331,000 ppm | DukesPhytochem | |
| WATER | 114,000 ppm | DukesPhytochem | |
| LECITHIN | 100,000 ppm | DukesPhytochem | |
| FIBER | 95,000 ppm | DukesPhytochem | |
| FAT | 63,000 ppm | DukesPhytochem | |
| DOPA | 48,000 ppm | DukesPhytochem | |
| ASH | 44,000 ppm | DukesPhytochem | |
| ASPARTIC-ACID | 42,080 ppm | DukesPhytochem | |
| GLUTAMIC-ACID | 40,440 ppm | DukesPhytochem |
A DNA barcode is a short, standardised stretch of genes that works like a fingerprint — enough to tell one species from another. Below is the molecular trace Mucuna pruriens has left across the world's sequence archives.
At a glance
★ the standard DNA barcode for this group — the short region actually read to tell this species apart. The rest are extra genes sequenced along the way.
The complete instruction manual Mucuna pruriens carries — its genome. We read it from three angles — how big it is, how the DNA is packed into chromosomes, and how completely it has been sequenced — and explain how to read each value as you go.
Genome sizehow big the whole instruction manual is
Measured in base pairs (bp) — the individual letters of DNA (human ≈ 3.2 Gb, a bacterium a few million). The chart places this genome on a logarithmic scale — each step to the right is ten times bigger — among reference organisms. Across species a bigger genome loosely tracks with larger cells, slower growth and lower-energy lifestyles (powered flight favours small genomes) — yet it does not imply more genes or a more advanced organism (the long-standing C-value paradox).
Chromosomes & ploidyhow the DNA is packaged
2n is the full chromosome count in a normal body cell; n is a gamete (egg or sperm), which carries half. Ploidy is how many complete chromosome sets each cell holds — 2× (diploid) is typical for animals, while higher levels (polyploidy) are common in plants. Click any value below to see the underlying records and sources.
2n 2216×CCDB · ipcn-api-dl · CCDB · book-ipcn75-78 · CCDB · book-ipcn73-74 +4
2n 201×CCDB · book-ipcn65
n 116×CCDB · ipcn-api-dl · CCDB · book-ipcn67-71 · CCDB · book-ipcn75-78 +1
n 121×CCDB · ipcn-api-dl
diploid inferred1×PloiDB · genus-scale
Sequencing statusassembly quality — how far to trust these numbers
Assembly level tells you how finished the sequence is — from fragmented contigs, through scaffolds, up to a full chromosome-level assembly. BUSCO % estimates completeness: the share of genes expected to be present that were actually found. These describe the data quality, not the organism.
How far back this lineage goes — and how we know. Everything here is measured in Ma, short for “mega-annum”: millions of years ago. The chart reads left to right like a calendar of the Earth, from the deep past on the left to today at the right edgetop to bottom like a core drilled through the Earth, from the deep past at the top down to today at the bottom.
At a glance
When this lineage existed
How to read this: the coloured strip along the bottomdown the left is the geological calendar — the standard epochs (Pliocene, Pleistocene…) every museum uses, shown so you can see which chapter of Earth's history this lineage lived in. This lineage is a young one, so the strip is zoomed in to epochs — the finer subdivisions inside a period. The orange marker is the DNA clock: DNA accumulates mutations at a roughly steady rate, so comparing this species' DNA with its relatives estimates when the lineage split off — independently of any fossil.
Record type2 537 records
Origin
Range
Wildobservation + sensor
Human sightings and records, or camera-trap / sensor detections — someone (or a device) saw or captured the species in the wild.
Museum / Voucheredphysical evidence
Backed by a physical specimen — a herbarium sheet, sample or voucher held in a collection. “Vouchered” means supported by material evidence, not just an observation.
Cultivated / Captivenot free-living
A living individual in a botanical garden, zoo or nursery — cultivated or kept, not free-living.
Wildobservation + sensor
Human sightings and records, or camera-trap / sensor detections — someone (or a device) saw or captured the species in the wild.
Holding institutions75 of 160 geolocated
Institutions and collections holding physical, vouchered specimens of this species — click a row to fly to it on the map.
| Institution | Specimens |
|---|---|
| Saint Louis, US | 162 |
| Durango, MX | 92 |
| Kew, GB | 47 |
| Bronx, US | 44 |
| University of Stellenboschlocation not on record | 31 |
| MeiseBGlocation not on record | 25 |
| Tapachula, MX | 24 |
| Istituto Agrario Castelnuovolocation not on record | 21 |
| Chicago, US | 19 |
| Xiamen, CN | 19 |
| Antiguo Cuscatlán, SV | 15 |
| Tampa, US | 14 |
| Mexico City, MX | 13 |
| Beijing, CN | 12 |
| Paris, FR | 12 |
| Palmerston, AU | 10 |
| Canberra, AU | 10 |
| Leiden University Medical Centerlocation not on record | 9 |
| Laboratorio de Ictiologialocation not on record | 8 |
| León, NI | 8 |
| Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznańlocation not on record | 8 |
| Instituto de Investigação Científica Tropicallocation not on record | 8 |
| Universidad de Antioquia (UdeA)location not on record | 8 |
| Brasília, BR | 7 |
| Kunming, CN | 7 |
| Berlin, DE | 7 |
| Austin, US | 7 |
| Feira de Santana, BR | 7 |
| Mérida, MX | 7 |
| Universidad Nacional de Colombia (UNAL)location not on record | 7 |
| Guangzhou, CN | 7 |
| Cenargenlocation not on record | 7 |
| Cusco, PE | 6 |
| Instituto de Investigación de Recursos Biológicos Alexander von Humboldt (IAvH)location not on record | 6 |
| Altos de Pipe, VE | 6 |
| Herbarium of the Department of Botany, University of Tokyolocation not on record | 6 |
| San Jose State University, Museum of Birds and Mammalslocation not on record | 6 |
| Guilin, CN | 5 |
| Museo Entomologico de Leonlocation not on record | 5 |
| Universiti Sains Malaysialocation not on record | 5 |
| Instituto Amazónico de Investigaciones Científicas - SINCHIlocation not on record | 5 |
| UFMSlocation not on record | 5 |
| JBRJlocation not on record | 5 |
| WAGlocation not on record | 5 |
| Chaguaramas, TT | 5 |
| Edinburgh, GB | 5 |
| South Kensington, GB | 5 |
| Austin, US | 4 |
| UnBlocation not on record | 4 |
| Florida Museum of Natural History- Zoology, Paleontology & Paleobotanylocation not on record | 4 |
| MAlocation not on record | 4 |
| Plocation not on record | 4 |
| Brasília, BR | 4 |
| UNICAMPlocation not on record | 4 |
| UNESP-FCAlocation not on record | 4 |
| San José, CR | 4 |
| Chapel Hill, US | 3 |
| Stockholm, SE | 3 |
| Tuxtla Gutiérrez, MX | 3 |
| HNBlocation not on record | 3 |
| Area de Conservacion Guanacastelocation not on record | 3 |
| Fredericksburg, US | 3 |
| Departamento de Sistematica e Ecologialocation not on record | 3 |
| Centre Suisse de Recherches Scientifiques en Côte d’Ivoirelocation not on record | 3 |
| UTFPR-CPlocation not on record | 3 |
| St. Augustine, TT | 3 |
| MEXUlocation not on record | 3 |
| Chongqing Museumlocation not on record | 3 |
| Uppsala, SE | 3 |
| Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia (INPA)location not on record | 3 |
| Ivano-Frankivsk, UA | 2 |
| Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldilocation not on record | 2 |
| Maringá, BR | 2 |
| UNESP-IBILCElocation not on record | 2 |
| CEPLAClocation not on record | 2 |
| USP-IBlocation not on record | 2 |
| IPA/SPlocation not on record | 2 |
| Baroda, IN | 2 |
| LSFlocation not on record | 2 |
| Campo Mourão, BR | 2 |
| Mexico City, MX | 2 |
| Loja, EC | 2 |
| CJBGlocation not on record | 2 |
| Moscow State Universitylocation not on record | 2 |
| Chapingo, MX | 2 |
| CMULlocation not on record | 2 |
| Miami, US | 2 |
| San Francisco de Campeche, MX | 2 |
| Mérida, MX | 2 |
| INTAlocation not on record | 2 |
| Central China Normal Universitylocation not on record | 2 |
| UNESP-RClocation not on record | 2 |
| Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Academia Sinicalocation not on record | 2 |
| Parc Botanique et Zoologique de Tsimbazaza (PBZT)location not on record | 2 |
| Salvador, BR | 2 |
| Herbier National du Gabonlocation not on record | 2 |
| Jardín Botánico de Cartagena "Guillermo Piñeres" (JBC)location not on record | 2 |
| Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas, Universidad Veracruzana, Región Xalapalocation not on record | 1 |
| HUT Culture Collectionlocation not on record | 1 |
| TAFORI-LSRClocation not on record | 1 |
| FUNEDlocation not on record | 1 |
| UEMlocation not on record | 1 |
| Departamento de Geologia, Universidad de Chilelocation not on record | 1 |
| Dekalb, US | 1 |
| CNF-UFHBlocation not on record | 1 |
| Cambridge, US | 1 |
| Cruz das Almas, BR | 1 |
| Cuiabá, BR | 1 |
| Cincinnati, US | 1 |
| CASlocation not on record | 1 |
| Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Honduraslocation not on record | 1 |
| Mexico City, MX | 1 |
| San Francisco, US | 1 |
| Kensington, AU | 1 |
| Brisbane, AU | 1 |
| Ann Arbor, US | 1 |
| Mount Annan, AU | 1 |
| National Institute of Biological Resourceslocation not on record | 1 |
| Wuhan, CN | 1 |
| Museo de Historia Natural de El Salvadorlocation not on record | 1 |
| Museu Nacional, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeirolocation not on record | 1 |
| Centre National d'Application des Recherches Pharmaceutiques (CNARP)location not on record | 1 |
| Sociedad Para el Estudio de los Recursos Bioticos de Oaxacalocation not on record | 1 |
| Universidad Tecnológica del Chocó (UTCH)location not on record | 1 |
| UFSCarlocation not on record | 1 |
| Pontificia Universidad Javeriana (PUJ)location not on record | 1 |
| Jena Microbial Resource Collectionlocation not on record | 1 |
| Centre National de la Recherche Appliquée au Developement Rurallocation not on record | 1 |
| Dehra Dun, IN | 1 |
| Gujarat Biodiversity Gene Banklocation not on record | 1 |
| Madison, US | 1 |
| Santa Cruz de la Sierra, BO | 1 |
| Qarshi Botanical Gardenlocation not on record | 1 |
| UFOPlocation not on record | 1 |
| Glocation not on record | 1 |
| Toronto, CA | 1 |
| NGCPR01049location not on record | 1 |
| Universidad de Guayaquillocation not on record | 1 |
| Empresa Pernambucana de Pesquisa Agropecuária, IPAlocation not on record | 1 |
| Chengdu, CN | 1 |
| Montréal, CA | 1 |
| LDlocation not on record | 1 |
| Tuxtla Gutiérrez, MX | 1 |
| SNJB's KKHA Arts, SMGL Commerce & SPHJ Science College Chandwad, Dist. Nashik, Maharashtra, India. 423101.location not on record | 1 |
| Natural History Museum, Tribhuvan Universitylocation not on record | 1 |
| FPMZBlocation not on record | 1 |
| Nanjing, CN | 1 |
| Frankfurt am Main | 1 |
| La Trobe Universitylocation not on record | 1 |
| UEMAlocation not on record | 1 |
| Burlington, US | 1 |
| Changsha, CN | 1 |
| Managua, NI | 1 |
| Lima, PE | 1 |
| UTFPR-SLlocation not on record | 1 |
| Iquitos, PE | 1 |
| UNIVILLElocation not on record | 1 |
| Station d'Ecologie de Lamtolocation not on record | 1 |
| Bogotá, D.C., CO | 1 |
| DOI/NPS, Greenbelt Parklocation not on record | 1 |
Cultivated / Captivenot free-living
A living individual in a botanical garden, zoo or nursery — cultivated or kept, not free-living.
Where the DNA of Mucuna pruriens was picked up in samples of water, soil or air — nobody saw the organism, only its DNA left behind. A trace is a clue that the species was near, not a confirmed sighting.
Signal
Where its DNA was found
How strong is each trace?
Modelled climatemodelled
How to read this: each dot is one detection of this species' DNA in an environmental sample. The confidence meter weighs how many independent studies and places back up the signal — one detection in one study is a hint; many across several studies is solid. Records dated before 2008 (when eDNA methods began) are treated as likely mislabeled and left off the map.