perennial twining vine of Old World tropics having trifoliate leaves and racemes of fragrant purple pea-like flowers followed by maroon pods of edible seeds; grown as an ornamental and as a vegetable on the Indian subcontinent; sometimes placed in genus Dolichos • Syn: hyacinth bean, Indian bean, Egyptian bean, Lablab purpureus, Dolichos lablab • Hypernyms: vine • Member Holonyms: Lablab, genus Lablab
