The long, smooth, twining stems of Abrus precatorius subsp. africanus will attach themselves to shrubs and trees that may be growing within reach. The grey-green leaves are pinnate and straight with two rows of tiny, opposite, oblong leaflets on the rachis. There are normally more than 10 leaflets as well as a terminal one.

The small, purple flowers of the lucky bean creeper grow in short sprays during autumn.

The species is found in many tropical habitats on earth, including some where it has been introduced and become a notable invader. Still, the literature includes material about the plant’s propagation and cultivation practices.

High visibility and widespread worldwide prevalence have earned the species several common names, including crab’s eye creeper, rosary pea, Indian licorice and gidee-gidee, besides the locally used lucky bean creeper.

The South African distribution lies in the provinces North West, Limpopo and Mpumalanga.  The plant grows in dry woodland at low to medium altitudes (Onderstall, 1984; Wikipedia; Germishuizen and Fabian, 1982; ResearchGate).