Kundumani is Abrus precatorius, rosary pea — the twiner whose scarlet seed with a black eye was used as a weight and a bead. Hindi gunja is the same seed. Children should not be given the seeds to string. Abrin is what makes the seed dangerous. A cracked or chewed seed is the emergency. Do not put it in the mouth. White and black seeds remain this species.
- Botanical name
- Abrus precatorius L.
- Family
- Fabaceae
- Tamil
- Kundumani
- Hindi
- Gunja
- Sanskrit
- Guñjā
- Parts used
- None on this page
- Habit
- Twining pea; the public mark is a red seed with a black eye — not a bead to mouth
- Last updated
- 2026-10-30
How to recognise Kundumani
Linnaeus published Abrus precatorius. The family is Fabaceae. It is a slender twiner: pinnate leaves with many small leaflets, pale pea-flowers, and pods that open to show hard, glossy seeds — usually scarlet with a black hilum.
Etti discs are larger, grey, and a different poison. Do not treat either as a toy.
Tamil kundumani / kunri mani, Hindi gunja / ratti and Sanskrit guñjā are the names. English rosary pea, jequirity and crab’s eye are this species.
A Tamil hedge and a Caribbean fence can be the same dangerous climber.
The vine is easiest to name while it still carries pods of the red seeds with their black spot. A drilled bead is still this seed, and drilling is how people get exposed.
White-seeded and black-seeded forms exist and remain this species. Colour is not safety.
Leaves fold at dusk. That is ordinary pea, not a second genus.
The seed was a traditional jeweller’s weight (ratti). A weight is not a snack.
Pods are short and few-seeded. A long ornamental pod may be another pea.
It likes hedges and waste ground. Nobody needs a forest romance.
Flowers are pale pink to lilac, small, and not the public article. The seed is.
Intact swallowed seeds have passed through some people; cracked or chewed seeds are the documented harm. Do not run that experiment.
Traditional use of Kundumani
Craft and weight
The seed was a bead and a weight. That craft history is honest. It does not cancel the poison conversation.
Jewellery and metrology history
Ayurveda
Ayurvedic texts use guñjā only after purification (śodhana), and only in a practitioner’s hands. They are not a backyard chew.
Ayurvedic headings
Modern notes on Kundumani
Abrin is a ribosome-inactivating protein. That is why a cracked seed is an emergency, not a folk story.
The practical modern issue is craft beads sold to children, and white seeds treated as safe.
Kundumani safety
Do not chew, crush, drill near the mouth, or give the seeds to children. A cracked seed is the exposure that matters. Intact decorative use still risks a child mouthing the bead — keep them out of reach.
Educational only. Not medical advice. Not an offer to sell. Not a craft pattern. Not a recipe.
Ecology and sourcing
It is a weed of people and of hedges. Pull it if children play there. Honesty is a named caution, not a bead shop.
Related plants
Also in Fabaceae
Questions about Kundumani
Are white seeds safe?
No. Colour is a form. Treat every kundumani seed as not for the mouth.
What is the Tamil name of Abrus precatorius?
Kundumani.
Can I use them as jewellery?
Not in a home with small children. Drilling and mouthing are the harm routes.
Sources
- Abrus precatorius L. — Plants of the World Online, Kew (search) (accessed 2026)
- Wikidata item Q190887 (Abrus precatorius)
Educational page about a plant. It is not medical advice, not a diagnosis, and not an offer to sell. Traditional use is historical. If you need care, ask a licensed clinician. Questions: hello@meevamed.com.