[2] Also known as the beach pea, nanea,[3] and notched cowpea,[4] it is a species of legume in the family Fabaceae.

[4] The specific epithet "marina", from the Latin word for "sea", refers to the plant's coastal habitat.

Small, triangular leaf-like stipules are located at the junction where the leaf stalk meets the stem.

[2] This species is salt-tolerant and is found on tropical beaches around the world, such as those in Hawaii[1] and on various islands in the Pacific Ocean,[5] Puerto Rico[1] and other Caribbean islands,[5] the coast of Bahia, Brazil,[5] the Atlantic and Indian coasts of Africa,[5] Madagascar,[5] the Seychelles,[5] India and Sri Lanka,[5] Indo-China and the Chinese island of Hainan,[5] Malesia,[5] and along the Australian coast in Queensland and the Northern Territory.

[4] As a treatment to help heal wounds such as boils, running sore, or ulcers (known locally as hēhē), early Hawaiians ground the leaves, stalks, midribs (kua), and stems of the plant, and applied the softened materials directly onto the affected area.

[4] As is the case in many pea species, Vigna marina is able to fix nitrogen from the air around it roots.

Vigna o-wahuensis is a rare species endemic to the Hawaiian Islands and is considered endangered.