About Vigna radiata (L.) R.Wilczek
Vigna radiata, commonly known as green gram or mung bean, is an annual vine that grows 15–125 cm (6–49 in) tall. It produces yellow flowers and fuzzy brown pods. This species has a well-developed root system with many slender lateral roots that bear root nodules. Stems are heavily branched, and sometimes twine at their tips; young stems are purple or green, while mature stems are grayish-yellow or brown. Growth habits are grouped into three types: erect cespitose, semi-trailing, and trailing. Wild mung bean types tend to grow prostrate, while cultivated types are typically more erect. Leaves are ovoid or broad-ovoid; cotyledons die after the seedling emerges, and ternate leaves develop after two single leaves form. Mature leaves measure 6–12 cm long and 5–10 cm wide. Yellow-flowered racemes grow from leaf axils and leaf tips, with 10–25 flowers per pedicel, and flowers are self-pollinated. Fruits are elongated cylindrical or flat cylindrical pods, with 30–50 pods produced per plant on average. Pods are 5–10 cm long and 0.4–0.6 cm wide, and hold 12–14 seeds separated by septa. Seeds are either cylindrical or spherical, and can be green, yellow, brown, or blue in color. Different mung bean types are distinguished by their seed color, and by whether their seeds have a rough outer layer.
