Taxon:  Pueraria montana (Lour.) Merr. var. lobata (Willd.) Maesen & S. M. Almeida ex Sanjappa & Predeep



Summary
Genus:
Pueraria
Family:
Fabaceae (alt. Leguminosae)
Subfamily:
Faboideae
Tribe:
Phaseoleae
Subtribe:
Glycininae
Nomen number:
314966
Place of publication:
M. Sanjappa, Legumes India 288.  1992 (L. J. G. van der Maesen & S. M. Almeida, J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 85:233.  1988, nom. inval.)
Comment:
Maesen & S. Almeida (1988) incorrectly cited the basionym as P. lobata var. lobata Ohwi
Verified:
04/21/1999 ARS Systematic Botanists.
Accessions:
38 (4  active, 2  available) in National Plant Germplasm System.  (Map it)
Other conspecific taxa
Pueraria montana (Lour.) Merr. (0 active accession[s])
Pueraria montana (Lour.) Merr. var. montana (10 active accession[s])
Pueraria montana (Lour.) Merr. var. thomsonii (Benth.) M. R. Almeida (0 active accession[s])
Conservation Status

Reference(s)
  1. University of Georgia Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health
  2. APHIS. Agricultural Risk Management System United States Department of Agriculture.
  3. Conant, P. et al. 1997. Appendix. Selected plant species interfering with resource management goals in North American natural areas. In: Luken, J. O. & J. W. Thieret, eds., Assessment and management of plant invasions. 255-267.
  4. Duke, J. A. et al. 2002. CRC Handbook of medicinal herbs
  5. Henderson, L. 2001. Alien weeds and invasive plants: a complete guide to declared weeds and invaders in South Africa. Plant Protection Research Institute, Handbook 12 Note: = Pueraria lobata (Willd.) Ohwi
  6. Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry. Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk (PIER): plant threats to Pacific ecosystems (on-line resource).
  7. International Seed Testing Association. 1982. A Multilingual Glossary of Common Plant-Names 1. Field crops, grasses and vegetables, ed. 2.
  8. Iwatsuki, K. et al. 1993-. Flora of Japan. Note: = Pueraria lobata
  9. Kartzinel, T. R. et al. 2015. Heterogeneity of clonal patterns among patches of kudzu, Pueraria montana var. lobata, an invasive plant. Ann. Bot. (Oxford) 116:739-750. Note: it found evidence of high genetic diversity within and among patches of assumed clonal plants; their finding implies that current methods of mowing control may increase genotypic diversity
  10. Kumar, S & P. V. Sane. 2003. Legumes of South Asia: a checklist.
  11. Leung, A. Y. & S. Foster. 1996. Encyclopedia of common natural ingredients used in food, drugs, and cosmetics, ed. 2 Note: = Pueraria lobata (Willd.) Ohwi
  12. Liberty Hyde Bailey Hortorium. 1976. Hortus third. A concise dictionary of plants cultivated in the United States and Canada Note: = Pueraria lobata
  13. Lock, J. M. & C. S. Ford. 2004. Legumes of Malesia: a checklist
  14. Maesen, L. J. G. van der. 1994. Pueraria, the kudzu and its relatives: an update of the taxonomy 67. Note: in M. Sørensen, Proc. 1st Int. Symp. Tuberous Legumes
  15. Markle, G. M. et al., eds. 1998. Food and feed crops of the United States, ed. 2 Note: = Pueraria lobata (Willd.) Ohwi
  16. McGuffin, M., J. T. Kartesz, A. Y. Leung, & A. O. Tucker. 2000. Herbs of commerce, ed. 2 American Herbal Products Association, Silver Spring, Maryland.
  17. Padua, L. S. de et al., eds. 1999. Medicinal and poisonous plants 1. In: Faridah Hanum, I. & L. J. G. van der Maesen, eds., Plant Resources of South-East Asia (PROSEA) 12(1):417.
  18. Porcher, M. H. et al. Searchable World Wide Web Multilingual Multiscript Plant Name Database (MMPND) (on-line resource).
  19. Seed Regulatory and Testing Division, Agricultural Marketing Service, U.S.D.A. State noxious-weed seed requirements recognized in the administration of the Federal Seed Act (updated annually).
  20. USDA National Agricultural Library. National Invasive Species Information Center (on-line resource).
  21. Wagner, W. L. et al. Flora of the Hawaiian Islands (on-line resource).
  22. Ward, D. B. 1998. Pueraria montana: the correct scientific name of the kudzu. Castanea 63:76-77.
  23. Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
  24. 2018. Mid-Atlantic invasive plant species (on-line resource)
Common names
LanguageNameAlternate namenoteseqCitation
EnglishJapanese arrowroot as Pueraria lobata1Erhardt, W. et al. 2008. Der große Zander: Enzyklopädie der Pflanzennamen Note: as Pueraria lobata
Englishkudsu as Pueraria lobata1Liberty Hyde Bailey Hortorium. 1976. Hortus third. A concise dictionary of plants cultivated in the United States and Canada Note: = Pueraria lobata
Englishkudzu  1Wiersema, J. H. & B. León. 1999. World economic plants: a standard reference CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL.
Afrikaanskudzuranker as Pueraria lobata2Henderson, L. 2001. Alien weeds and invasive plants: a complete guide to declared weeds and invaders in South Africa. Plant Protection Research Institute, Handbook 12 Note: = Pueraria lobata (Willd.) Ohwi
GermanKudzubohne as Pueraria lobata2Erhardt, W. et al. 2008. Der große Zander: Enzyklopädie der Pflanzennamen Note: as Pueraria lobata
Italianpueraria  2International Seed Testing Association. 1982. A Multilingual Glossary of Common Plant-Names 1. Field crops, grasses and vegetables, ed. 2.
Japanese Rōmajikuzu as Pueraria lobata2Iwatsuki, K. et al. 1993-. Flora of Japan. Note: = Pueraria lobata
Transcribed Koreanchilg as Pueraria lobata2Mun-Chan, B. et al. 1986. A checklist of the Korean cultivated plants. Kulturpflanze 34:122.
Distribution
order_codeStatusContinentSubcontinentCountryStateNoteReference
1NativeAsia-TemperateChinaChina  Maesen, L. J. G. van der. 1994. Pueraria, the kudzu and its relatives: an update of the taxonomy 67. Note: in M. Sørensen, Proc. 1st Int. Symp. Tuberous Legumes
1NativeAsia-TemperateEastern AsiaJapan  Maesen, L. J. G. van der. 1994. Pueraria, the kudzu and its relatives: an update of the taxonomy 67. Note: in M. Sørensen, Proc. 1st Int. Symp. Tuberous Legumes
1NativeAsia-TemperateEastern AsiaKorea  Maesen, L. J. G. van der. 1994. Pueraria, the kudzu and its relatives: an update of the taxonomy 67. Note: in M. Sørensen, Proc. 1st Int. Symp. Tuberous Legumes
1NativeAsia-TemperateEastern AsiaTaiwan  Maesen, L. J. G. van der. 1994. Pueraria, the kudzu and its relatives: an update of the taxonomy 67. Note: in M. Sørensen, Proc. 1st Int. Symp. Tuberous Legumes
1NativeAsia-TemperateRussian Far EastRussian FederationPrimorye Yakovlev, G. P. et al. 1996. Legumes of Northern Eurasia
1NativeAsia-TropicalIndo-ChinaThailand  Maesen, L. J. G. van der. 1994. Pueraria, the kudzu and its relatives: an update of the taxonomy 67. Note: in M. Sørensen, Proc. 1st Int. Symp. Tuberous Legumes
1NativeAsia-TropicalIndo-ChinaVietnam  Maesen, L. J. G. van der. 1994. Pueraria, the kudzu and its relatives: an update of the taxonomy 67. Note: in M. Sørensen, Proc. 1st Int. Symp. Tuberous Legumes
1NativeAsia-TropicalMalesiaIndonesia  Lock, J. M. & C. S. Ford. 2004. Legumes of Malesia: a checklist
1NativeAsia-TropicalMalesiaMalaysia  Lock, J. M. & C. S. Ford. 2004. Legumes of Malesia: a checklist
1NativeAsia-TropicalMalesiaPhilippines  Lock, J. M. & C. S. Ford. 2004. Legumes of Malesia: a checklist
1NativeAsia-TropicalPapuasiaPapua New Guinea  Lock, J. M. & C. S. Ford. 2004. Legumes of Malesia: a checklist
1NativeAsia-TropicalPapuasiaSolomon Islands  Maesen, L. J. G. van der. 1994. Pueraria, the kudzu and its relatives: an update of the taxonomy 67. Note: in M. Sørensen, Proc. 1st Int. Symp. Tuberous Legumes
1NativePacificSouthwestern PacificNew Caledonia  Maesen, L. J. G. van der. 1994. Pueraria, the kudzu and its relatives: an update of the taxonomy 67. Note: in M. Sørensen, Proc. 1st Int. Symp. Tuberous Legumes
1NativePacificSouthwestern PacificVanuatu  Maesen, L. J. G. van der. 1994. Pueraria, the kudzu and its relatives: an update of the taxonomy 67. Note: in M. Sørensen, Proc. 1st Int. Symp. Tuberous Legumes
4NaturalizedAfricaSouthern AfricaSouth AfricaMpumalanga Germishuizen, G. & N. L. Meyer, eds. 2003. Plants of southern Africa: an annotated checklist. Strelitzia 14 National Botanical Institute, Pretoria, South Africa.
4NaturalizedAfricaWest Tropical AfricaSierra Leone  Lock, J. M. 1989. Legumes of Africa: a checklist
4NaturalizedAsia-TemperateCaucasusAzerbaijan  Yakovlev, G. P. et al. 1996. Legumes of Northern Eurasia
4NaturalizedAsia-TemperateCaucasusGeorgia  Yakovlev, G. P. et al. 1996. Legumes of Northern Eurasia
4NaturalizedAsia-TemperateMiddle AsiaTajikistan  Yakovlev, G. P. et al. 1996. Legumes of Northern Eurasia
4NaturalizedAsia-TropicalIndian SubcontinentBhutan  Kumar, S & P. V. Sane. 2003. Legumes of South Asia: a checklist.
4NaturalizedAustralasiaAustraliaAustraliaNew South Walesn.e.Lazarides, M. & B. Hince. 1993. CSIRO Handbook of Economic Plants of Australia
4NaturalizedAustralasiaAustraliaAustraliaQueensland Lazarides, M. & B. Hince. 1993. CSIRO Handbook of Economic Plants of Australia
4NaturalizedEuropeEastern EuropeUkraine  Yakovlev, G. P. et al. 1996. Legumes of Northern Eurasia
4NaturalizedNorthern America United States   
4NaturalizedPacificNorth-Central PacificUnited StatesHawaii Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry. Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk (PIER): plant threats to Pacific ecosystems (on-line resource).
4NaturalizedPacificSouth-Central PacificFrench Polynesia  Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry. Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk (PIER): plant threats to Pacific ecosystems (on-line resource).
4NaturalizedPacificSouthwestern PacificFiji  Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry. Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk (PIER): plant threats to Pacific ecosystems (on-line resource).
4NaturalizedPacificSouthwestern PacificNiue  Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry. Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk (PIER): plant threats to Pacific ecosystems (on-line resource).
4NaturalizedPacificSouthwestern PacificSamoa  Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry. Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk (PIER): plant threats to Pacific ecosystems (on-line resource).
4NaturalizedPacificSouthwestern PacificTonga  Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry. Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk (PIER): plant threats to Pacific ecosystems (on-line resource).
4NaturalizedPacificSouthwestern PacificUnited StatesAmerican Samoa Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry. Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk (PIER): plant threats to Pacific ecosystems (on-line resource).
4NaturalizedSouthern AmericaCaribbeanHispaniola   
4NaturalizedSouthern AmericaCentral AmericaPanama   
Native
Asia-Temperate
  • RUSSIAN FAR EAST: Russian Federation [Primorye]
  • CHINA: China
  • EASTERN ASIA: Korea, Japan, Taiwan
Asia-Tropical
  • PAPUASIA: Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands
  • INDO-CHINA: Thailand, Vietnam
  • MALESIA: Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines
Pacific
  • SOUTHWESTERN PACIFIC: New Caledonia, Vanuatu
Naturalized
Africa
  • WEST TROPICAL AFRICA: Sierra Leone
  • SOUTHERN AFRICA: South Africa [Mpumalanga]
Asia-Temperate
  • CAUCASUS: Azerbaijan, Georgia
  • MIDDLE ASIA: Tajikistan
Asia-Tropical
  • INDIAN SUBCONTINENT: Bhutan
Australasia
  • AUSTRALIA: Australia [New South Wales (n.e.), Queensland]
Europe
  • EASTERN EUROPE: Ukraine
Northern America
  • REGION: United States
Pacific
  • NORTH-CENTRAL PACIFIC: United States [Hawaii]
  • SOUTH-CENTRAL PACIFIC: French Polynesia
  • SOUTHWESTERN PACIFIC: Fiji, Niue, Tonga, United States [American Samoa], Samoa
Southern America
  • CARIBBEAN: Hispaniola
  • CENTRAL AMERICA: Panama

Reference(s)
  1. Germishuizen, G. & N. L. Meyer, eds. 2003. Plants of southern Africa: an annotated checklist. Strelitzia 14 National Botanical Institute, Pretoria, South Africa.
  2. Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry. Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk (PIER): plant threats to Pacific ecosystems (on-line resource).
  3. Kumar, S & P. V. Sane. 2003. Legumes of South Asia: a checklist.
  4. Lazarides, M. & B. Hince. 1993. CSIRO Handbook of Economic Plants of Australia
  5. Lock, J. M. & C. S. Ford. 2004. Legumes of Malesia: a checklist
  6. Lock, J. M. 1989. Legumes of Africa: a checklist
  7. Maesen, L. J. G. van der. 1994. Pueraria, the kudzu and its relatives: an update of the taxonomy 67. Note: in M. Sørensen, Proc. 1st Int. Symp. Tuberous Legumes
  8. Yakovlev, G. P. et al. 1996. Legumes of Northern Eurasia
Economic Uses
UsageTypeNoteReference
Animal foodfodder Markle, G. M. et al., eds. 1998. Food and feed crops of the United States, ed. 2 Note: = Pueraria lobata (Willd.) Ohwi
Animal foodforage Markle, G. M. et al., eds. 1998. Food and feed crops of the United States, ed. 2 Note: = Pueraria lobata (Willd.) Ohwi
Environmentalerosion control Maesen, L. J. G. van der. 1985. Revision of the genus Pueraria DC. with some notes on Teyleria Backer (Leguminosae). Agric. Univ. Wageningen Pap. 85-1:45. Note: = Pueraria lobata var. lobata
Human foodstarch Leung, A. Y. & S. Foster. 1996. Encyclopedia of common natural ingredients used in food, drugs, and cosmetics, ed. 2 Note: = Pueraria lobata (Willd.) Ohwi
Human foodvegetable Leung, A. Y. & S. Foster. 1996. Encyclopedia of common natural ingredients used in food, drugs, and cosmetics, ed. 2 Note: = Pueraria lobata (Willd.) Ohwi
Medicinesfolklore Padua, L. S. de et al., eds. 1999. Medicinal and poisonous plants 1. In: Faridah Hanum, I. & L. J. G. van der Maesen, eds., Plant Resources of South-East Asia (PROSEA) 12(1):417.
Medicinesfolklore Duke, J. A. et al. 2002. CRC Handbook of medicinal herbs
Medicinesfolklore McGuffin, M., J. T. Kartesz, A. Y. Leung, & A. O. Tucker. 2000. Herbs of commerce, ed. 2 American Herbal Products Association, Silver Spring, Maryland.
Medicinesfolkloreas Pueraria pseudohirsutaYen, Kun-Ying. 1994. Illustrated Chinese materia medica crude and prepared.
Weed  Conant, P. et al. 1997. Appendix. Selected plant species interfering with resource management goals in North American natural areas. In: Luken, J. O. & J. W. Thieret, eds., Assessment and management of plant invasions. 255-267.
Weed as Pueraria lobataHenderson, L. 2001. Alien weeds and invasive plants: a complete guide to declared weeds and invaders in South Africa. Plant Protection Research Institute, Handbook 12 Note: = Pueraria lobata (Willd.) Ohwi
Cite as: USDA, Agricultural Research Service, National Plant Germplasm System. 2026. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN Taxonomy). National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland.
URL: https://npgstest.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/taxon/taxonomydetail?id=314966. Accessed 15 April 2026.