Jicama (Pachyrhizus erosus)

Jicama (Pachyrhizus erosus) is a plant species in the Fabaceae family. It is an annual herb that grows 4–5 meters in length, with roots reaching up to 2 meters; its stems are trailing and twining, covered in fine, downward-pointing hairs.

P. erosus features compound leaves with petioles 8.5–16 cm long. The leaves are pinnate and consist of three leaflets; the leaflets are broadly ovate with pointed tips and large teeth, and they are hairy on both sides. The terminal leaflet is the largest, rhombic in shape, measuring 7–21 cm in length and 6–20 cm in width.

The flowers are arranged in racemes at the ends of stems or in the leaf axils—appearing singly or in clusters of 2–4 racemes—and can reach up to 60 cm in length, covered in brownish hairs. The calyx tube is bell-shaped and brownish, measuring 0.5 cm in length, with lobes also up to 0.5 cm long.

The corolla is white to bluish-purple, hairless, and 2 cm long. The filaments are flattened, with slightly curled tips. The stigma is spherical and positioned below the tip of the style, which is bearded just beneath the stigma. The fruit is a linear, flattened pod, 8–13 cm long, covered in hairs, and contains 4–9 seeds.

The plant develops a rounded root tuber that can weigh up to 5 kg. The tuber has a thin, pale yellow skin, while the interior is white and contains a fresh, slightly sweet liquid. The tuber contains sugars, starch, phosphorus, and calcium. It also has a cooling effect, as it consists of 86–90% water.

Its sweetness comes from an oligosaccharide called inulin, which cannot be digested by the human body. This property makes it beneficial for individuals with diabetes or those following a low-calorie diet. The tubers are used as ingredients for rujak (spicy fruit salad), asinan (pickled fruit or vegetables), and candied treats, or are incorporated into traditional dishes. When kept in a dry place at a temperature of 12–16°C, the tubers can be stored for up to two months.

The seeds and other parts of the plant are highly toxic because they contain rotenone—a substance often used as an insecticide. The seeds can be crushed and mixed with sulfur to treat scabies. Half a seed is sometimes used as a laxative. In cases of poisoning from the seeds, the standard remedy is to consume green coconut water.

TAXON

Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Tracheophyta
Subphylum: Angiospermae
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Fabales
Family: Fabaceae
Subfamily: Faboideae
Tribe: Phaseoleae
Subtribe: Glycininae
Genus: Pachyrhizus Rich. ex DC. in Mém. Légum.: 379 (1826)
Species: Pachyrhizus erosus (L.) Urb. in Symb. Antill. 4: 311 (1905)

HOMOTYPIC SYNONYMS

Cacara erosa (L.) Kuntze in Revis. Gen. Pl. 1: 165 (1891)
Dolichos bulbosus L. in Sp. Pl., ed. 2.: 1020 (1763)
Dolichos erosus L. in Sp. Pl.: 726 (1753)
Pachyrhizus angulatus Rich. ex DC. in Prodr. 2: 402 (1825)
Pachyrhizus bulbosus Kurz in J. Asiat. Soc. Bengal, Pt. 2, Nat. Hist. 45: 246 (1876)
Pachyrhizus erosus var. typicus R.T.Clausen in Cornell Univ. Agric. Exp. Sta. Mem. 264: 13 (1944)
Stizolobium bulbosum Spreng. in Syst. Veg., ed. 16. 3: 252 (1826)

HETEROTYPIC SYNONYMS

Cacara palmatiloba (DC.) Kuntze (1891)
Dolichos articulatus Lam. in Encycl. 2: 296 (1786)
Dolichos mammosus Noronha in Verh. Batav. Genootsch. Kunsten 5(4): 13 (1790)
Dolichos palmatilobus DC. (1825)
Dolichos trilobus Lour. in Fl. Cochinch.: 535 (1790)
Pachyrhizus angulatus f. integrifolius Wawra in Flora 47: 243 (1864)
Pachyrhizus articulatus Duchass. ex Walp. in Flora 36: 226 (1853)
Pachyrhizus erosus var. palmatilobus (DC.) R.T.Clausen (1944)
Pachyrhizus jicamas Blanco in Fl. Filip.: 579 (1837)
Pachyrhizus palmatilobus (DC.) Benth. & Hook.f. ex Hemsl. in Biol. Centr.-Amer., Bot. 1: 310 (1880)
Pachyrhizus strigosus R.T.Clausen in Mem. Cornell Univ. Agric. Exp. Sta. 264: 17 (1945)
Pachyrhizus trilobus DC. (1825)
Phaseolus tuberosus Lour. (1790)
Robynsia lobata M.Martens & Galeotti in Bull. Acad. Roy. Sci. Bruxelles 10(2): 194 (1843)
Robynsia macrophylla M.Martens & Galeotti (1843)
Stizolobium domingense Spreng. (1826)
Taeniocarpum articulatum Desv. in Ann. Sci. Nat. (Paris) 9: 421 (1826)

PUBLICATIONS

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Wagner, W.L., Herbst, D.R. & Sohmer, S.H. (1999). Manual of the Flowering Plants of Hawai'i, rev. ed., 1: 1-988. University of Hawai'i Press, Bishop Museum Press.

Welsh, S.L. (1998). Flora Societensis: 1-420. E.P.S. Inc. Utah.

Wiriadinata, H., Girmansyah, D., Hunter, J.M., Hoover, W.S. & Kartawinata, K. (2013). Floristic study of West Sumbawa, Indonesia. Reinwardtia 13: 391-404.

Wu, Z. & Raven, P.H. (eds.) (2010). Flora of China 10: 1-642. Science Press (Beijing) & Missouri Botanical Garden Press (St. Louis).

Zhu, X.Y., Zhang, R.P. & He, Y.L. (eds.) (2021). An inventory of legume species diversity of Myanmar: 1-297. China Minzu university press.

VERNACULAR NAME

Aceh: Singkuwang
Bali: Jempingan
Batak: Bangkuwang
Chinese (simplified): 凉薯 - 地瓜 - 沙葛 - 豆薯
Chinese (traditional): 沙葛 - 豆薯
English: Jicama, Bengkoang, Yam bean, Chop suey bean
Filipino: Singkamas, Sinkamas, Kamias
Finnish: Pikkujamssipapu
French: Manioc cochon, Pachyrhize rongé, Pois cochon, Pois manioc, Pois batate, Dolique bulbeux
German: Yambohne
Guizhou: 地瓜 Chinese
Hindi: संकुल Sankula
Indonesia: Bengkuang
Japanese: クズイモ
Java: Besusu, Bengkowang
Khmer: ប៉េគូក Pe' kuëk
Lao: ມັນເພົາ Man ph'au
Lombok: Uwi pisak
Malaysia: Sengkuwang, Bengkuwang, Mengkuwang
Nanning: 凉薯
Oria: Chini alu
Russian: Пахиризус вырезной
Shaoyang: 凉薯
Sichuan: 地瓜
Slovak: Hrubokoreňovec ohryzený
Spanish: Batata de burro, Jícama
Sunda: Bangkowang
Tagalog: Singkamas
Thai: มันแกว
Wuzhou: 凉薯
Yunnan: 地瓜

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