2005 / Myanmar / Dried specimen / Former collection of the Herbarium, the University of Tokyo / UMUT

The matchbox bean is distributed in tropical and subtropical areas throughout Asia, Australia and Africa. In Japan, species of this genus occur in coastal regions in the islands south of Kyushu. The plants are large, evergreen, woody lianas. The stem can reach 30 cm in diameter. The woody legume (fruit) can reach 1 m in length. The seeds float and sometimes drift ashore on the coast. The Japanese name, Modama, designates the seed of seaweed because people believed they came from the sea. The seeds are russet, round, 5 cm in diameter and are used for handicrafts.