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Glycine soja

Common name:	Wild Soya Bean	Family:	Leguminosae
Author:	Siebold.& Zucc.	Botanical references:	58
Synonyms:	Glycine ussuriensis (Regel.& Maack.)
Known Hazards:	The raw mature seed is toxic and must be thoroughly cooked before being eaten[76]. The sprouted raw seed is sometimes eaten and is considered to be a wholesome food.
Range:	E. Asia - China.
Habitat:	Lowland thickets, C. and S. Japan[58].
Edibility Rating (1-5):	3	Medicinal Rating (1-5):	2

Other Possible Synonyms:	From various places across the web, may not be correct. See below.
	Dolichos soja[G,P] G. formosana[G] G. gracilis[G,P] G. hispida[G,P] G. max[B,DUTCH,ENERGY,E,G,H,HPIC,HORTIPLEX,L,P] G. max subsp. soja[G] Phaseolus max[G,P] Soja hispida[G,H,P] Soja max[G,P]
Other Common Names:	From various places around the Web, may not be correct. See below.
	Chiang [E], Chiang Yu [E], Hei Tou [E], Huang Tou [E], Jen Shu [E], Jung Shu [E], Shih Tou [E], Shih Yu [E], Shu [E], Sojaboon [D], Soy Bean [H], Soya Fasulyasi [E], Soybean [B,P,H,L,E], Ta Tou [E], Ta Tou Huang Chuen [E], Ta Tou Shih [E], Tou Fu [E], Tou Huang [E], Tou Yu [E], Wild Soybean [P,B],
Systematics:	From a USDA Plants Database
	Order: Fabales. Renamed to Fabaceae -- Pea family
Other Range Info:	From the Ethnobotany Database
	Asia China India Turkey Us Us(Ny)

Physical Characteristics

Annual growing to 0.6m. It is hardy to zone 8 and is frost tender. It is in flower from July to September. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Insects. It can fix Nitrogen. We rate it 3/5 for edibility and 2/5 for medicinal use.

The plant prefers light (sandy) and medium (loamy) soils and requires well-drained soil. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It requires moist soil.

Edible Uses

Coffee Leaves Milk Oil Seed Seedpod.

Mature seed - cooked[2, 33]. Very rich in protein, the seeds can be eaten as they are in soups, stews etc[183], though they are very commonly used in the preparation of various meat substitutes[34, 46]. The dried seed can be ground into a flour and added to cereal flours or used for making noodles etc[183]. The Japanese make a powder from the roasted and ground seed, it is called 'Kinako' and has a nutty flavour and fragrance - it is used in many popular confections[183]. The sprouted seed is eaten raw or added to cooked dishes. The toasted seeds can be eaten as a peanut-like snack[183]. The seed is also made into numerous fermented foods such as miso and tempeh[183] and is also used to make soya milk, used in place of cow's milk. The seed contains 20% oil and 30 - 45% protein[100].
The immature seed is cooked and used like peas or eaten raw in salads[105, 183].
The strongly roasted and ground seeds are used as a coffee substitute[183].
The young seedpods are cooked and used like French beans[116, 183].
An edible oil is obtained from the seed. It is cooked or used as a dressing in salads etc[34, 183].
Young leaves - raw or cooked[179, 183].

Medicinal Uses

Disclaimer

Antidote Astringent Diaphoretic Laxative Ophthalmic Resolvent Stomachic.

The fermented seed is weakly diaphoretic and stomachic[176]. It is used in the treatment of colds, fevers and headaches, insomnia, irritability and a stuffy sensation in the chest[176].
The bruised leaves are applied to snakebite[218].
The flowers are used in the treatment of blindness and opacity of the cornea[218].
The ashes of the stems are applied to granular haemorrhoids or fungus growths on the anus[218].
The immature seedpods are chewed to a pulp and applied to corneal and smallpox ulcers[218].
The seed is antidote[218]. It is considered to be specific for the healthy functioning of bowels, heart, kidney, liver and stomach[218].
The seed sprouts are constructive, laxative and resolvent[218]. They are used in the treatment of oedema, dysuria, chest fullness, decreased perspiration, the initial stages of flu and arthralgia[176].
A decoction of the bark is astringent[240].

Other Uses

Oil.

The seed contains up to 20% of an edible semi-drying oil[171]. It is non-drying according to another report[57]. This oil has a very wide range of applications and is commonly used in the chemical industry[171, 206]. It is used in making soap, plastics, paints etc[34, 46, 100].

Cultivation details

Requires a rich soil and a sunny position[33, 38]. Prefers a well-drained sandy soil[1]. Prefers a slightly acid soil[200, 206]. Does not grow well in a wet climate[132].
This is the wild ancestor of the cultivated soya bean and is of potential value as a genetic resource, especially when trying to breed for increased yields.
This species has a symbiotic relationship with certain soil bacteria, these bacteria form nodules on the roots and fix atmospheric nitrogen. Some of this nitrogen is utilized by the growing plant but some can also be used by other plants growing nearby[200]. Seed can be purchased that has been treated with this rhizobium, it is unnecessary on soils with a pH below 5.5 but can be helpful on other soils[206]. When removing plant remains at the end of the growing season, it is best to only remove the aerial parts of the plant, leaving the roots in the ground to decay and release their nitrogen.

Propagation

Pre-soak the seed for 12 hours in warm water and then sow in early spring in a greenhouse. The seed should germinate within two weeks at a temperature between 12 - 16° c[206]. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts.
Seed can also be pre-soaked for 12 hours in warm water and then sown in situ in late spring, though this will not yield well unless the summer is very hot.

Suppliers

For more details of plant suppliers please see our Suppliers Page which lists many more places to look.

Web References

[B] Data (Latin & Common names, other references) from the BONAP's Synonymized Checklist of the Vascular Flora of the United States, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.
[G] Data (Common Names, Uses, Distribution) from the USDA/ARS NPGS's GRIN taxonomic database.
[G] Data (Common Names, Uses, Distribution) from the USDA/ARS NPGS's GRIN taxonomic database.
[P] Data. (uses, distribution, wetland) from the USDA'a Plants database.

References for Glycine max (a possible synonym).

[H] Details of Scandanavian and European Common names in Henriette's names database
[E] Ethnobotany Data (common names, uses, countries) from the Ethnobotany Database.
[V] Images from the Vascular Plant Image Gallery of the Texas A& M Bioinformatics Working Group.
[B] Data (Latin & Common names, other references) from the BONAP's Synonymized Checklist of the Vascular Flora of the United States, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.
[G] Data (Common Names, Uses, Distribution) from the USDA/ARS NPGS's GRIN taxonomic database.
[PHARM] Phytochemical Data (common names, uses, countries) from Dr Duke's Phytochemical Database.
[P] Data. (uses, distribution, wetland) from the USDA'a Plants database.
[HEC] Use, Folk Medicine, etc. from Handbook of Energy Crops by James Duke
[HP] Links, Photos, Suppliers from Hortiplex Plant Database

References for glycine max (a possible synonym).

[HP] PhotoFrom Henriette's plant pictures
[HP] PhotoFrom Henriette's plant pictures

See the PFAF Links Pages for other sources.

Also try Photos and info from the The Plants Database which has 14,000 images.

References

[1] F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951
Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaces in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).

[2] Hedrick. U. P. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications 1972 ISBN 0-486-20459-6
Lots of entries, quite a lot of information in most entries and references.

[33] Organ. J. Rare Vegetables for Garden and Table. Faber 1960
Unusual vegetables that can be grown outdoors in Britain. A good guide.

[34] Harrison. S. Wallis. M. Masefield. G. The Oxford Book of Food Plants. Oxford University Press 1975
Good drawings of some of the more common food plants from around the world. Not much information though.

[38] Simmons A. E. Simmons' Manual of Fruit. David & Charles. 1978 ISBN 0-7153-7607-1
A good guide to some of the cultivars of temperate fruits. It covers quite a wide range of fruits.

[46] Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim 1959
An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.

[57] Schery. R. W. Plants for Man.
Fairly readable but not very comprehensive. Deals with plants from around the world.

[58] Ohwi. G. Flora of Japan. (English translation) Smithsonian Institution 1965
The standard work. Brilliant, but not for the casual reader.

[76] Cooper. M. and Johnson. A. Poisonous Plants in Britain and their Effects on Animals and Man. HMSO 1984 ISBN 0112425291
Concentrates mainly on the effects of poisonous plants to livestock.

[100] Polunin. O. Flowers of Europe - A Field Guide. Oxford University Press 1969 ISBN 0192176218
An excellent and well illustrated pocket guide for those with very large pockets. Also gives some details on plant uses.

[105] Tanaka. T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing 1976
The most comprehensive guide to edible plants I've come across. Only the briefest entry for each species, though, and some of the entries are more than a little dubious. Not for the casual reader.

[116] Brooklyn Botanic Garden Oriental Herbs and Vegetables, Vol 39 No. 2. Brooklyn Botanic Garden 1986
A small booklet packed with information.

[132] Bianchini. F., Corbetta. F. and Pistoia. M. Fruits of the Earth.
Lovely pictures, a very readable book.

[171] Hill. A. F. Economic Botany. The Maple Press 1952
Not very comprehensive, but it is quite readable and goes into some a bit of detail about the plants it does cover.

[176] Yeung. Him-Che. Handbook of Chinese Herbs and Formulas. Institute of Chinese Medicine, Los Angeles 1985
A very good Chinese herbal.

[179] Reid. B. E. Famine Foods of the Chiu-Huang Pen-ts'ao. Taipei. Southern Materials Centre 1977
A translation of an ancient Chinese book on edible wild foods. Fascinating.

[183] Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9
Excellent. Contains a very wide range of conventional and unconventional food plants (including tropical) and where they can be obtained (mainly N. American nurseries but also research institutes and a lot of other nurseries from around the world.

[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

[206] Larkcom J. Oriental Vegetables John Murray 1991 ISBN 0-7195-4781-4
Well written and very informative.

[218] Duke. J. A. and Ayensu. E. S. Medicinal Plants of China Reference Publications, Inc. 1985 ISBN 0-917256-20-4
Details of over 1,200 medicinal plants of China and brief details of their uses. Often includes an analysis, or at least a list of constituents. Heavy going if you are not into the subject.

[240] Chopra. R. N., Nayar. S. L. and Chopra. I. C. Glossary of Indian Medicinal Plants (Including the Supplement). Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, New Delhi. 1986
Very terse details of medicinal uses of plants with a wide range of references and details of research into the plants chemistry. Not for the casual reader.

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Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future - Species Database. Copyright (c) 1997-2003.
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