I did a google search and only found one reference that mentioned anything about being edible, and that was the bloom. So I would'nt eat them. I have always wanted to grow a corkscrew vine. I would be interested in some seed for a trade if interested. Rodger

Izzybelle, it is _very_ hard to get seed from Snail Flower (AKA "Corkscrew vine"), impossible for most of us on the Mainland. So you should know how lucky you are, because you truly have a precious commodity.

I second Rodger's comments about edibility. Most Vigna species are edible (cowpea, adzuki, rice bean, yardlong bean, green gram, black gram, moth bean). But I can find no evidence that V. caracalla is anything but an ornamental. Unless you find info proving its edibility, I would not eat it.

Thank you Rodger for your help. I had searched Google before but did not find anything. Funny, after you mentioned it I was able to find the tidbit that said the flowers may be edible.
I might be interested in a trade...I'm not trying to be coy. I don't know if I can ship seeds out of Hawaii. Also, I've been waiting for a while for the seedpods to mature--not that I would really know what it would look like. I thought that they might have to be dry in order to be viable.
Zeedman, what is the difference between vigna and phaseolus? Anyway, just to let you know, I bought the seeds from Montecello with an interest in using the flowers for leis. The first 9 months, I had no flowers until I started feeding the plant often with fish emulsion. It bloomed profusely. The ants, big black carpenter bees, regular bees, and wasps had a field day. Interestingly, while the ants were busy farming the aphids on the nearby Kaffir lime, there have not been any aphids nor scales, etc. on the vigna caracalla...
Thank you both for your help. I am thankful that I have the pods. Just need to keep my mother at bay.

Izzybelle, here is a qiuck run down on the vigna and phaseolus, as copied from the web,

Phaseolus is a genus in the family Fabaceae of about fifty plant species, all native to the Americas.

At least four of the species have been domesticated since pre-Columbian times for their beans. Most prominent among these is the common bean, P. vulgaris, which today is cultivated worldwide in tropical, semitropical and temperate climates.

Previous classifications placed in this genus a number of other well known species that have now been removed to genus Vigna, sometimes necessitating a change of species name. For example, older literature refers to the mung bean as Phaseolus aureus, whereas more modern sources classify it as Vigna radiata

The genus Vigna is in the plant family Fabaceae. The genus is named after Dominico Vigna an Italian botanist of the 17th century. Many Vigna species are cultivated for food. They include some well-known and not so well known bean species formerly included in the genus Phaseolus. Common names in this genus reflect its mixed taxonomic history as some are referred to as peas and others as beans.

Many references even in current literature will place some of these species in genus Phaseolus. According to Hortus Third, however, Vigna differs from Phaseolus in that

plants in Vigna often have stipules that are appendaged
the thickened part of the style is less strongly twisted
details of the pollen
details of the biochemistry
Examples of Vigna species cultivated for food include:

V. acontifolia moth bean
V. angularis azuki bean
V. mungo urd bean or urd
V. radiata mung bean, green gram
V. subterranea Bambara groundnut (placed by some authors in genus Voandzeia)
V. umbellata rice bean
V. unguiculata cowpea
V. unguiculata ssp. cylindrica catjang
V. unguiculata ssp. dekindtiana black-eyed pea
V. unguiculata ssp. sesquipedalis yardlong bean
V. unguiculata ssp. unguiculata southern pea
V. vexillata zombi pea

I have a bone to pick with most of the reference sources concerning Vigna caracalla. Most of them state that caracalla means "from Caracas". However, this plant has several common names such as snail vine and snail bean, which would seem to indicate that the name is based on the Latin for snail. I was unable to find that Latin word, but I know the Spanish for snail is caracol. I think it is highly likely that the Latin for snail is the source of both caracol and caracalla.

I'll continue to search. The best source would be the original description of the species, if I can find it. Can anyone help?

Jim

Okay, I know this is a little off the beaten track but is the phaseolus caracalla bean edible? I gave some seedlings to my sister and it took off. I did not keep any of these as they were not the vigna caracalla. She got one of those too. She calls it "the evil bean" after it took over her garage roof, front trellis, climbing rose, and still going strong after being cut back to the ground. Needless to say, I told her she could keep the vine, seedlings, beans, etc. but if it has a use, maybe her eyes won't narrow every time she mentions it.
Thanks

Are you sure the two plants are different? From just a brief search they appear the same to me. It would not be unusual for a plant to have two scientific names, an old one and a newer one from revision of the taxonomy.

Anyway, I found a site (link below) which talks about eating Phaseolus caracalla.

Jim

Here is a link that might be useful: Phaseolus caracalla

Hi to all, I grow this alot, have for many years. I use the tubers in the same way you could a 4 O'clock. (Weeds in my neck O the woods!) My sister uses seeds from Parks. They are not expensive. DON"T EAT THE SEEDS!

I can't comment on the edibility, but I have a comment on the name. And a question.

I believe the plant is named after an article of clothing made popular by a Roman emperor. "Caracalla" was his nickname and also referred to a hooded tunic that he preferred.

The flower has a itself has a sort of "hood."

There seem to be two kinds of this plant. One with purple flowers, another with white/lavender flowers. Which is the
/Vigna caracalla/?

Reliable sources refer to both of them with that name (or its synonym /Phaseolus caracalla/).

One source calls the plant /Phaseolus gigantea/ with a picture of the purple flowered variety. But that name is not on "the plant list" maintained by Kew and Mobot, so I wonder if it is a real name.

Any ideas?

The snail vine grow like weeds over here in New Zealand. We have hundreds of flowers & beans every year.
My 6 year old daughter asked me if I would like to eat some? On telling her they're not supposed to be eaten she informed me she'd eaten some. (I'm sure I've told her not to before )Anyway she said they had no taste. No stomach ache or consequences so far.(eaten about an hour ago) I'm lucky enough to know a few scientists & horticulturist but on phoning around they don't know either.Will keep you posted.

Found this NYT while checking about the vine being edible.

it says the seeds are edible.

https://www.nytimes.com/1998/07/30/garden/garden-q-a.html