ASPARAGUS-PEA, the name of a group of cultivated leguminous plants mostly derived from Psophocarpus tetragon olobus, native to India. All varieties are rapidly-growing vines, Io ft. to 5o ft. long, producing quadrangular, green-winged pods, 3 in. to 9 in. long. The tender young pods are eaten like string beans and have a distinct flavour resembling that of asparagus. The seeds, which are about the size of peas, are very rich in proteids. Because of their extreme hardness when ripe, they are difficult to cook, hence usually only the immature seeds are eaten. The plant is a quasi-perennial, bearing almost continuously for one or two years. Its cultivation is increasing in most tropical countries and it is also grown as a cover-crop.