Cowpea

Cowpea, or black-eyed pea (Vigna sinen-sis), member of the pea family, cultivated widely in warmer climates for its edible beans. One variety is native to India and another, with very long pods, is native to China. In the United States, the cowpea is grown extensively in the South, where it is valued both for its beans and for the plant itself, which is used as manure and hay.