Stems grow at least 3 metres (9.8 ft), in a prostrate or trailing form, with forked tendrils that facilitate climbing.

A raceme up to 25 millimetres (1 in) long, containing many yellow-orange flowers, ultimately produces an ovate to circular pod, with large brownish-black seeds.

The fact that the marama bean is adapted to harsh environments offers potential to extend the agricultural activity into regions which are dry or unproductive at the moment.

[3] Summer growth is typically prodigious, particularly in plants older than one year, due in part to its large underground tuber.

The plant is dormant over winter in its native home — South Africa, Namibia and Botswana — but might possibly remain evergreen in less harsh environments.

The plant is a significant food-source for the people of the Kalahari because of the high protein and oil content of its large seeds (20–30 g (0.71–1.06 oz) each).

The flour of Tylosema esculentum, prepared from heated or unheated marama beans, has a potential as a functional food ingredient.

[6] In order to produce marama milk, several processing steps are involved: Thermal treatment (blanching and roasting of the beans), cracking, milling, suspending in water, boiling and filtration to obtain a milk-like phase.

[5] The lipid content of the marama beans can be compared to sunflower seeds (22-36 %) and rapeseed (22-49 %) and almost reaching the amount that is found in peanuts (45-55 %).

This amount of protein makes the marama bean a great nutritive food but can be also used as a protein-rich ingredient for supplementing other products.

[5] Tylosema esculentum, also known as the Marama bean, is a perennial legume that grows in arid Southern African environments.

Indigenous natural food sources, such as this specific perennial legume, are essential for rural livelihoods, especially for communities living in extremely harsh environmental conditions where there is little to no rainfall.

The plant's ability to be cultivated in harsh and arid environments is due to its large tuber structure that stores high amount of water and soil nutrients, making Tylosema esculentum a drought-tolerant crop.

Many families of Southern African regions grow the Marama bean locally, but are unaware of its high nutritional value.

Sixteen samples of Tylosema esculentum from Botswana, Namibia, and South Africa were tested, and the plant's chemical composition was analyzed.

Having a successful self-incompatibility system evolutionarily benefits this plant because it promotes more out-crossing and in turn creates more diversity within a population.