Catjang (Vigna unguiculata subsp. cylindrica) is a subspecies of cowpea. The catjang plant is native to Africa, and is an erect densely branched shrubby perennial of Old World tropics. It now grows in other warm regions, as well. In the US, it is grown primarily as fodder, but elsewhere is used as a food crop. The name comes from Indonesian and Malay kacang, a generic word for beans and nuts.