Snail Flower

I've seen this question already on DG, but could not seem to find an answer. Is there a difference between the Snail Flower and the Corkscrew Vine? If any of you have been to Seed Savers Exchange and seen the one listed there, it is listed as Snail Flower, but has the botanical name Vigna caracalla - which is the name for the Corkscrew Vine on this site. They also say that their's is very fragrant. If anyone knows the answer to this, please post and let me know. Thanks

As far as I understand they are two seperate plants. I have a few seeds of the snail flower if you would like to try them instead of buying them?
:) Donna

If it is fragrant it is the corkscrew vine, sometimes called snail vine. Vigna caracalla is the correct name for this plant. Thomas Jefferson grew it at Montecello.
The purple snail vine is often called phaseolus caracalla and that, according to Hortus III, is an invalid name and a synonym for vigna caracalla. That's where the confusion comes in.
The solid purple one is not fragrant and the seeds are itty bitty and resemble centrosema seeds. Vigna caracalla seeds are much larger, about the size of lupine seeds.

How in the world did this get so mixed up. I think I will write to seed savers and see if they can tell me for sure which one they have.

Donna, can you tell me which one you are referring too lol? And if the one that you have is not the Vigna caracalla, can you tell me about the vine itself. I read somewhere that the other one is really fast growing.

The seeds I have are for the phaseolus caracella or Snail vine.
:) Donna

I have the one called Giant Snail Vine - phaseolus gigantus ??? It is not fragrant but it is a good bloomer. It has really taken over the trellis I started it on. Pretty flowers...attracts some skipper butterflies. Seems to be resilent to diseases and pests here - I haven't noticed any bugs or weevils and such on it.

This photo is from December 2005...it has grown much more since then. Lots more blooms too.

~ Cat

Up close photo of bloom - giant snail vine.

~ Cat

I compared these to a post by PudgyMudpies on vigna caracalla....the vine I have does not bloom in clusters :o(

This message was edited Feb 12, 2006 7:22 PM