Clitoria ternatea

Clitoria ternatea L.

Common Names: Blue Pea, Butterfly Pea, Blue Clit

Family: Fabaceae

Habit: Clitoria ternatea grows as a climbing or trailing vine becoming woody with age to 10 meters in length, sparsely pubescent throughout. The pinnately compound leaves are arranged alternately with 5-7 leaflets.  The leaflets are to 5 cm in length, ovate to elliptic, with a round apex and base.

The complete, perfect, zygomorphic flowers are solitary in leaf axils.  The calyx has 5 fused green petals.  The corolla has 5 blue petals, the lower enlarged to form a banner and the upper 2 slightly fused to form the keel.  There are 10 diadelphous stamens.  The ovary is superior and has a single locule.  The fruit is a dry brown legume at maturity.

Habitat: Clitoria ternatea grows in Human Altered environments and is commonly grown as an ornamental climber.

Distribution: Clitoria ternatea is NOT native to the Lucayan Archipelago.  It is native to Africa but is now widespread in the tropics and subtropics worldwide.  In the Lucayan Archipelago it is found in the northern island groupings.

Medicinal/Cultural/Economic usage: Clitoria ternatea is not known to be used medicinally in the Lucayan Archipelago. It has been used in Ayurvedic medicine to treat a variety of issues including stress, memory, depression, and convulsions.

Clitoria ternatea is widely used in horticulture because of it’s showy flowers.