Asian pigeonwings
Asian Pigeonwings
Clitoria ternatea, commonly known as Asian pigeonwings, bluebellvine, blue pea, butterfly pea, cordofan pea or Darwin pea is a plant species belonging to the family Fabaceae.
Scientific name: Clitoria ternatea
Subfamily: Faboideae
Family : Fabaceae
Order : Fabales
Kingdom: Plantae
•In India, it is revered as a holy flower, used in daily puja rituals.
•The species name is thought to derive from the city of Ternate in the Indonesian archipelago, from where Linnaeus’s specimens originated.
•This plant is native to equatorial Asia, including locations in South Asia and Southeast Asia but has also been introduced to Africa, Australia and the Americas.
•It is a perennial herbaceous plant, with elliptic, obtuse leaves.
• It grows as a vine or creeper, doing well in moist, neutral soil.
•Its most striking feature is the color of its flowers, a vivid deep blue; solitary, with light yellow markings.
•They are about 4 cm long by 3 cm wide. Some varieties yield white flowers.
•The fruits are 5–7 cm long, flat pods with six to ten seeds in each pod. They are edible when tender.
•Butterfly pea flower tea is made from the ternatea flowers and dried lemongrass and changes color depending on what is added to the liquid, with lemon juice turning it purple.
•In Southeast Asia, the flower is used as a natural food colouring to colour glutinous rice and desserts like the Eurasian putugal as well as an Ayurvedic medicine.
