>Plantdrew at 21:00, 6 July 2021

2021-07-06T21:00:58Z

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{{Short description|,Species of legume}}
{{Speciesbox
|image = Clitoria ternatea flower by Dr. Raju Kasambe DSCN1517 (8).jpg
|image_caption = Flowers and foliage
|genus = Clitoria
|species = ternatea
|authority = [[Carl Linnaeus|L.]]
}}
[[File:Clitoria ternatea.JPG|thumb|A blue variety of the pea]]
[[File:Sangupushpam.jpeg.jpg|thumb]]
[[File:Butterfly pea flower Vietnam.jpg|thumb|Vietnamese girl collecting butterfly pea flowers in her [[nón lá]]]]

'''''Clitoria ternatea''''', commonly known as '''Asian pigeonwings''',<ref name=NRCS>{{PLANTS | symbol = CLTE3 | taxon = Clitoria ternatea | accessdate = 31 Jul 2016}}</ref> '''bluebellvine''', '''blue pea''', '''butterfly pea''', '''cordofan pea''' and '''Darwin pea''',<ref name=GRIN>{{GRIN | name = ''Clitoria ternatea'' L. | id = 10942 | accessdate = 31 Jul 2016 }}</ref> is a plant species belonging to the family [[Fabaceae]].

In India, it is revered as a holy flower, used in daily puja rituals. The flowers of this vine were imagined to have the shape of human [[Vulva|female genitals]], hence the [[Latin]] name of the [[genus]] ''"[[Clitoria]]"'', from "[[clitoris]]". The species name is thought to derive from the city of [[Ternate]] in the Indonesian archipelago, from where [[Carl Linnaeus|Linnaeus's]] specimens originated.<ref name="oguis-review-2019">{{cite journal |last1=Oguis |first1=Georgianna K. |last2=Gilding |first2=Edward K. |last3=Jackson |first3=Mark A. |last4=Craik |first4=David J. |title=Butterfly Pea (Clitoria ternatea), a Cyclotide-Bearing Plant with Applications in Agriculture and Medicine |journal=Frontiers in Plant Science |date=28 May 2019 |volume=10 |pages=645 |doi=10.3389/fpls.2019.00645 |pmid=31191573 |pmc=6546959 |doi-access=free }}</ref>

==Distribution==
This plant is native to [[tropical Asia|equatorial Asia]], including locations in [[South Asia]] and [[Southeast Asia]] but has also been introduced to Africa, Australia and the Americas.

==Description==
[[File:Clitoria ternatea beans.jpg|thumb|Flower and pods in different states of ripeness]]

It is a perennial herbaceous plant, with elliptic, obtuse leaves. It grows as a vine or creeper, doing well in moist, neutral soil.
The most striking feature about this plant is the color of its flowers, a vivid deep blue; solitary, with light yellow markings. They are about {{convert|4|cm|abbr=on}} long by {{convert|3|cm|abbr=on}} wide. Some varieties yield white flowers.

The fruits are {{convert|5-7|cm|abbr=on}} long, flat pods with six to ten seeds in each pod. They are edible when tender.

It is grown as an ornamental plant and as a revegetation species (e.g., in coal mines in Australia), requiring little care when cultivated. As a [[legume]], its roots form a symbiotic association with soil bacteria known as [[rhizobia]], which transform atmospheric N<sub>2</sub> into a plant-usable form (a process called nitrogen fixing), therefore, this plant is also used to improve soil quality through the decomposition of nitrogen rich plant material.
[[File:Clitoria ternatea(white).jpg|thumb|''Clitoria ternatea'']]

==Uses==
===Culinary use===
In Southeast Asia, the flower is used as a natural food colouring to colour glutinous rice and desserts like the Eurasian [[putugal]]. In [[Kelantan]], in the north-east of peninsular Malaysia, it is an important ingredient in ''[[nasi kerabu]]'', giving it its characteristic bluish colour. In [[Burmese cuisine|Burmese]] and [[Thai cuisine]]s, the flowers are also dipped in batter and fried.

[[Butterfly pea flower tea]] is made from the ternatea flowers and dried [[lemongrass]] and changes color depending on what is added to the liquid, with lemon juice turning it purple.<ref name=BusinessInsider>{{cite web | url=http://www.businessinsider.de/watch-this-magic-tea-change-colour-video-2016-2?r=US&IR=T | title=Watch this tea dramatically change from deep blue to vibrant red with a squeeze of lemon | first=Chloe | last=Pantazi | date=February 26, 2016 | accessdate=July 2, 2016 | work=Business Insider Deutschland}}</ref> In [[Thailand]] and [[Vietnam]], this butterfly blue pea flower tea is commonly mixed with honey and lemon to increase acidity and turn the beverage a pink-purple color, to produce for a drink usually served after dinner, or as a refreshment at hotels and spas.<ref name=BonAppetit>{{cite magazine | url=http://www.bonappetit.com/drinks/non-alcoholic/article/butterfly-pea-flower-color-changing-tea | title=The Science Behind This Mesmerizing Color-Changing Tea | first=Elyssa | last=Goldberg | date=January 31, 2016 | accessdate=July 2, 2016 | magazine=[[Bon Appétit]]}}</ref> The drink is a typical local drink like [[chamomile tea]] is in other parts of the world.<ref name=BonAppetit/> The tea is found in both hot and cold varieties<ref name=BBC>{{cite web | url=http://www.bbc.com/travel/story/20121015-be-good-to-yourself-in-chiang-mai | title=Be good to yourself in Chiang Mai | work=BBC Travel | publisher=the [[British Broadcasting Corporation]] | first=Marian | last=Reid | date=October 16, 2012 | accessdate=July 3, 2016}}</ref>

The flowers have more recently been used in a color-changing [[gin]]. Blue in the bottle, it turns pink when mixed with a [[Soft drink#Carbonated drinks|carbonated]] [[Drink mixer|mixer]] such as [[tonic water]] due to the change in pH.<ref>{{cite magazine
|title=This magical gin changes colour when tonic's added to it
|magazine=Good Housekeeping
|url=https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/uk/food/a570657/colour-changing-gin-sharish/
}}</ref> As organic colours are not permanent, this type of gin is recommended to be stored in a dark place to maintain the effect.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.theaustralian.com.au/life/food-wine/road-test-ink-gin-changes-colour-when-mixed-with-tonic/news-story/00cd127fac8008684cc35051a3cb79da|title=Road test: Ink gin changes colour when mixed with tonic |website=The Australian|language=en|access-date=2018-12-18}}</ref>
===Traditional medicine===
In traditional [[Ayurvedic]] medicine, it is ascribed various qualities including memory enhancing, [[nootropic]], antistress, [[anxiolytic]], antidepressant, [[anticonvulsant]], tranquilizing, and sedative properties.<ref name=Mukherjee>{{Cite journal |vauthors=Mukherjee PK, Kumar V, Kumar NS, Heinrich M | title = The Ayurvedic medicine Clitoria ternatea-From traditional use to scientific assessment | journal = J Ethnopharmacol | date = 2008 | volume = 120 | issue = 3 | pages = 291–301 | doi = 10.1016/j.jep.2008.09.009| pmid = 18926895 }}</ref> In [[traditional Chinese medicine]], the plant has been ascribed properties affecting female libido due to its similar appearance to the female reproductive organ.<ref>{{cite journal |first1=Paul R. |last1=Fantz |year=1991 |title=Ethnobotany of ''Clitoria'' (Leguminosae) |journal=Economic Botany |volume=45 |issue=4 |pages=511–20 |jstor=4255394 |publisher=New York Botanical Garden Press |doi=10.1007/BF02930715|s2cid=38939748 }}</ref> Using its extract have also shown its ability to reduce intensity of behavior caused by serotonin and acetylcholine.<ref>{{Cite journal|date=2003-06-01|title=Clitoria ternatea and the CNS|url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0091305703001308|journal=Pharmacology Biochemistry and Behavior|language=en|volume=75|issue=3|pages=529–536|doi=10.1016/S0091-3057(03)00130-8|issn=0091-3057|last1=Jain|first1=Neeti N.|last2=Ohal|first2=C.C|last3=Shroff|first3=S.K|last4=Bhutada|first4=R.H|last5=Somani|first5=R.S|last6=Kasture|first6=V.S|last7=Kasture|first7=S.B|pmid=12895670|s2cid=25178020}}</ref>

===Textile use===
The flower can be used to dye natural fibers and is used by traditional societies in Asia to do so.

==Chemical constituents==
Chemical compounds isolated from ''C. ternatea'' include various [[triterpenoid]]s, [[flavonol glycoside]]s, [[anthocyanin]]s and [[steroid]]s.<ref name=Mukherjee/> Cyclic peptides known as [[cliotide]]s have been isolated from the heat-stable fraction of ''C. ternatea'' extract.<ref>{{cite journal | last1 = Nguyen | first1 = GK | last2 = Zhang | first2 = S | last3 = Nguyen | first3 = NT | last4 = Nguyen | first4 = PQ | last5 = Chiu | first5 = MS | last6 = Hardjojo | first6 = A | last7 = Tam | first7 = JP. |date=Jul 2011 | title = Discovery and characterization of novel cyclotides originated from chimeric precursors consisting of albumin-1 chain a and cyclotide domains in the Fabaceae family | journal = J Biol Chem | volume = 286 | issue = 27| pages = 24275–87 | doi=10.1074/jbc.m111.229922 | pmid=21596752 | pmc=3129208| url = https://dr.ntu.edu.sg/bitstream/10220/7205/3/Discovery%20and%20Characterization%20of%20Novel%20Cyclotides%20Originated%20from%20Chimeric%20Precursors.pdf }}</ref> The blue colour of ''C. ternatea'' is a result of various anthocyanins, most importantly [[ternatin]]s - polyacylated derivatives of [[delphinidin]] 3,3', 5'-triglucoside (Da-T).<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Terahara|first1=Norihiko|last2=Saito|first2=Norio|last3=Honda|first3=Toshio|last4=Toki|first4=Kenjiro|last5=Osajima|first5=Yutaka|date=1990-01-01|title=Acylated anthocyanins of Clitoria ternatea flowers and their acyl moieties|journal=Phytochemistry|volume=29|issue=3|pages=949–953|doi=10.1016/0031-9422(90)80053-J|issn=0031-9422}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Terahara|first1=Norihiko|last2=Oda|first2=Masahiro|last3=Matsui|first3=Toshiro|last4=Osajima|first4=Yutaka|last5=Saito|first5=Norio|last6=Toki|first6=Kenjiro|last7=Honda|first7=Toshio|date=1996-01-01|title=Five New Anthocyanins, Ternatins A3, B4, B3, B2, and D2, from Clitoria ternatea Flowers|journal=Journal of Natural Products|volume=59|issue=2|pages=139–144|doi=10.1021/np960050a|pmid=8991946|issn=0163-3864}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Terahara|first1=Norihiko|last2=Saito|first2=Norio|last3=Honda|first3=Toshio|last4=Toki|first4=Kenjiro|last5=Osajima|first5=Yutaka|date=1990-01-01|title=Structure of ternatin A1, the largest ternatin in the major blue anthocyanins from clitoria ternatea flowers|journal=Tetrahedron Letters|volume=31|issue=20|pages=2921–2924|doi=10.1016/0040-4039(90)80185-O|issn=0040-4039}}</ref>

==Gallery==
<gallery>
File:Clitoria ternatea , Burdwan, West Bengal, India 04 10 2012.JPG|''Clitoria ternatea'' , Burdwan, West Bengal
File:Aparajita flower.jpg|''Aparajita flower'' in a Garden from [[Khandaghosh]] - west Bengal India
File:Flor de Clitoria ternatea.jpg|''Clitoria ternatea'' in a Garden from [[Maracay]] - Venezuela
File:Clitoria ternatea.jpg|''C. ternatea'', [[Isla Margarita]], Venezuela
File:Clitoria ternatea-2-yercaud-salem-India.JPG|Seeds of ''Clitoria ternatea''
File:Blue tea.jpg|''Clitoria'' tea in a pot
File:Khao tom-dok anchan53.JPG|Thai ''[[khao tom]]'' sweet colored blue with ''C. ternatea'' flowers
File:Butterfly Pea Double Flower ( Clitoria Ternatea ).JPG|A less common "[[double-flowered]]" ''C. ternatea''
</gallery>

==References==
<references />

==External links==
{{Commons category-inline}}
* {{cite web|title=Plant of the Week—''Clitoria ternatea''|url=http://www.plantoftheweek.org/week043.shtml|accessdate=2007-07-31|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070809062953/http://www.plantoftheweek.org/week043.shtml|archive-date=2007-08-09|url-status=dead}}
* {{cite web|title=Clitoria ternatea|publisher=Tropical Forages|url=http://www.tropicalforages.info/key/Forages/Media/Html/Clitoria_ternatea.htm|accessdate=2007-07-31|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070817214728/http://www.tropicalforages.info/key/Forages/Media/Html/Clitoria_ternatea.htm|archive-date=2007-08-17|url-status=dead}}
*[https://sites.google.com/site/intlsocfortaxonomicexplratins/home/vine-s-blue-flowers-for-a-garden A strain of ''Clitoria ternatea'' from the Philippines from the Int'l Soc. for Taxonomic Explorations] by Isidro A. T. Savillo.

{{Taxonbar|from=Q312265}}

[[Category:Clitoria|ternatea]]
[[Category:Flora of Thailand]]
[[Category:Flora of India]]
[[Category:Flora of Malesia]]
[[Category:Forages]]
[[Category:Flora of Nepal]]
[[Category:Flora of Venezuela]]
[[Category:Nitrogen-fixing crops]]
[[Category:Plants described in 1753]]
[[Category:Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus]]

Clitoria ternatea - Revision history

>Plantdrew at 21:00, 6 July 2021