Carper (vellum) bean
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The carper bean is a member of the bennish bean family (Gulmanda simonica). Before 1900 it was more commonly called the vellum bean due to its outer texture that resembles vellum printing paper (Gorham, 1932). The scientific name and more recent popular name honor Simon T. Carper, who identified and described this and related species in the 1920s. Carper beans are edible and vitamin-rich but have a very bitter taste so have more commonly been used as animal feed in the African countries where they flourish.
Sources
Gorham, A.T. 1932. Bennish bean varieties (Handbook and Grower's Cyclopedia). New York: Appleton.
Zambleton, M. 1975. Carper beans as agricultural feedstocks. Journal of West African Agriculture 16, 112-119.
