Mucuna birdwoodiana Tutch.

Mucuna birdwoodiana Tutch. (白花油麻藤)

The 3D model shows a pod of Birdwood’s Mucuna, collected by Prof. Shiu-Ying Hu in Hong Kong in 1970. Professor Hu worked at both the Harvard Herbaria and the Herbarium of The Chinese University of Hong Kong for nearly half a century. This specimen is one of more than 20,000 collections she made during her lifetime devoted to plant taxonomy.

Birdwood’s Mucuna is native to Central, Eastern, and Southern China. Although its pod is spectacular in shape and covered with golden-brown hairs, these hairs can cause skin irritation, and the seeds are poisonous. With proper processing and in combination with other herbal ingredients, however, the plant can be used medicinally to strengthen bones and muscles.

The flowers of this species consist of five greenish-white petals. The outermost petal, known as the standard, encloses the wings and keel, all of which are conspicuous and attractive. As a result, the plant is also valued as an ornamental species.

Birdwood’s Mucuna typically grows within forests. Large, mature individuals can provide valuable clues about the history and stability of forest ecosystems, making the species potentially useful for ecological studies.

References

Hong Kong Herbarium. (2026, July 28). Mucuna birdwoodiana (Birdwood’s Mucuna). Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department, Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. https://www.herbarium.gov.hk/en/hk-plant-database/plant-detail/index.html?pType=species&oID=3699

Plants of the World Online. (n.d.). Mucuna birdwoodiana Tutcher. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved September 24, 2026, from https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:509150-1

World Flora Online. (n.d.). Mucuna birdwoodiana Tutcher. Retrieved September 24, 2026, from https://www.worldfloraonline.org/taxon/wfo-0000185575

School of Chinese Medicine, Hong Kong Baptist University. (n.d.). Mucuna birdwoodiana Tutcher. Medicinal Plant Images Database. Retrieved September 24, 2026, from https://sys01.lib.hkbu.edu.hk/cmed/mpid/detail.php?herb_id=D00569