Mucuna pruriens
Cow Itch, Cowage
Other regional names: Cowitch
- Cowitch
Also known as: Carpogon capitatus Roxb. +16 more
- Carpogon capitatus Roxb.
- Carpogon niveus Roxb.
- Carpopogon pruriens (L.) Roxb.
- Dolichos pruriens L.
- Hornera pruriens (L.) Neck.
- Labradia pruriens (L.) Swediaur
- Labradia pruriens (L.) Swendiatavr
- Marcanthus cochinchinense Lour.
- Marcanthus cochinchinensis Lour.
- Mucuna cochinchinense (Lour.) A.Chev.
- Mucuna nivea (Roxb.) DC.
- Mucuna pruriens var. nivea (Roxb.) Haines
- Mucuna prurita (L.) Hook.
- Mucuna prurita Wight
- Negretia pruriens (L.) Oken
- Stizolobium pruriens (L.) Medik.
- Stizolobium pruritum Piper
Botanical Data
- Taxonomic Rank: Species
- Botanical Family: Fabaceae
- WCVP Morphological Data: Recorded natively as a climbing perennial or shrub.
Find Reference Images
Google-powered external web search for Mucuna pruriens
Naturally occurring in Africa, Temperate Asia, and Tropical Asia, Mucuna pruriens (commonly known as Cow-Itch or Cowage) is a climbing herbaceous perennial or shrub belonging to the Fabaceae family. In its natural range, this species typically occurs in wet tropical conditions. There are naturally occurring varieties of this species, which are linked below.
Macro Climate
Tropical
Plant Type
Climber / Vine
Native Range
Continents (WGSRPD)
AFRICA, ASIA-TEMPERATE, ASIA-TROPICAL
Regions (WGSRPD)
Arabian Peninsula, China, East Tropical Africa, Indian Subcontinent, Indo-China, Macaronesia, Malesia, Northeast Tropical Africa, Papuasia, South Tropical Africa, Southern Africa, West Tropical Africa, West-Central Tropical Africa, Western Indian Ocean
Botanical Countries (WGSRPD L3)
Andaman Is., Angola, Assam, Bangladesh, Benin, Burkina, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, China South-Central, China Southeast, Christmas I., Comoros, Congo, East Himalaya, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Gulf of Guinea Is., Hainan, India, Ivory Coast, Kenya, KwaZulu-Natal, Laccadive Is., Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaya, Maluku, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nepal, Nicobar Is., Nigeria, Northern Provinces, Pakistan, Philippines, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Solomon Is., Sri Lanka, Sudan, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Uganda, Vietnam, West Himalaya, Yemen, Zambia, Zaïre, Zimbabwe
Introduced Range
An “Introduced” distribution indicates that the plant is recorded outside its native range in that region as a result of deliberate or accidental human introduction. Introduced records may include casual, naturalized or invasive populations, but do not include plants that are only cultivated or planted without self-sustaining populations.
Botanical Countries (Non-Native)
Bahamas, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil North, Brazil Northeast, Brazil South, Brazil Southeast, Brazil West-Central, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Fiji, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Jawa, Leeward Is., Lesser Sunda Is., Marianas, Mauritius, Mexico Central, Mexico Gulf, Mexico Southeast, Mexico Southwest, Nauru, New Caledonia, Nicaragua, Northern Territory, Panama, Peru, Puerto Rico, Queensland, Réunion, Southwest Caribbean, Surinam, Taiwan, Transcaucasus, Trinidad-Tobago, Venezuela, Windward Is.
Subspecies, Varieties & Forms