Canavalia

 ( Fabaceae Genera ) 

Canavalia is a genus of plants in the legume family (Fabaceae) that comprises approximately 62 species of tropics . Members of the genus are commonly known as jack-beans. It has a pantropical distribution.

The species of Canavalia Endemism to the Hawaiian Islands were named ʻāwikiwiki by the Native Hawaiians. The name translates to "the very quick one" (1992): New Pocket Hawaiian Dictionary with a Concise Grammars and Given Names in Hawaiian. University of Hawaii PRess, Honolulu. and comes from the Hawaiian word for "fast". The genus name is derived from the Malabar Coast word for the species, kavavali, which means "forest climber".

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Uses Several species are valued legume crops, including common jack-bean ( C. ensiformis), sword bean ( C. gladiata) and C. cathartica. At least the first makes a beneficial allelopathic- and pathogen-suppressing living mulch. The common jack-bean is also a source of the lectin concanavalin A, which is used as a reagent in glycoprotein biochemistry and immunology. The jack-bean is also a common source of purified urease enzyme used in scientific research.

The bay bean ( Canavalia rosea) is supposedly mildly psychoactive when smoked, and is used in tobacco substitutes.

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Ecology Some animals have adaptations to the defensive chemicals of jack-beans. such as that of the two-barred flasher ( Astraptes fulgerator) are sometimes found on Canavalia. The ascomycete fungus Mycosphaerella canavaliae was described from a jack-bean. Introduced have wreaked havoc on Canavalia on the Hawaiian Islands and made some nearly Extinction; it may be that these lost their chemical defenses because no herbivorous existed in their range until introduced by humans. The usually bright pea-flowers are pollinated by such as and such as Xylocopa confusa.

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History The genus name Canavalia was, as recently as 1913, known as Canavali.Piper, C. V. 1913. "The Jack Bean and the Sword Bean." USDA Bureau of Plant Industry, Circular. No. 110. p. 29-36 The name of the genus comes from a common name for Canavalia rosea used in India and adapted by Augustin Pyramus de Candolle.

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Diversity Species include: Genus Canavalia. International Legume Database & Information Service (ILDIS). Version 10.01, November 2005. Retrieved 17 December 2007.

• Canavalia acuminata Rose
• Canavalia africana Dunn
• Canavalia altipendula (Piper) Standl.
• Canavalia aurita J.D. Sauer
• Canavalia bicarinata Standl.
• Canavalia boliviana Piper
• Canavalia bonariensis Lindl.
• Canavalia brasiliensis Mart. ex Benth. – Barbicou-bean, feijão-bravo do Ceará (Brazil)
• Canavalia campylocarpa Piper
• Canavalia cathartica Thouars (syn. C. virosa (Roxb.) Wight & Arn.)
• Canavalia centralis H.St.John
• Canavalia concinna J.D.Sauer
• Canavalia dolichothyrsa G.P. Lewis
• Canavalia dura J.D. Sauer
• Canavalia ensiformis (Carl Linnaeus) DC. – common jack-bean, giant stock-bean, gotani-bean, horse-bean, seaside-bean, wonder-bean, feijão-de-porco (Brazil)
• Canavalia eurycarpa Piper
• Canavalia forbesii H.St.John
• Canavalia galeata (Gaudich.) Vogel (Oahu)
• Canavalia glabra (M. Martens & Galeotti) J.D.Sauer
• Canavalia gladiata (Jacq.) DC. – sword bean, scimitar-bean
• Canavalia grandiflora Benth.
• Canavalia haleakalaensis H.St.John
• Canavalia hawaiiensis O.Deg., I.Deg. & J.D.Sauer
• Canavalia hirsutissima J.D. Sauer
• Canavalia iaoensis H.St.John
• Canavalia kauaiensis J.D.Sauer
• Canavalia lineata (Thunb.) DC.
• Canavalia macrobotrys Merr.
• Canavalia macropleura Piper
• Canavalia madagascariensis J.D.Sauer
• Canavalia makahaensis H.St.John
• Canavalia mattogrossensis (Barb. Rodr.) Malme
• Canavalia matudae J.D. Sauer
• Canavalia microsperma Urb.
• Canavalia mollis Wight & Arn.
• Canavalia molokaiensis Otto Degener, I.Deg. & J.D.Sauer – Molokai jack-bean
• Canavalia munroi (O.Deg. & I.Deg.) H.St.John
• Canavalia napaliensis H.St.John – Mākaha Valley jack-bean
• Canavalia nitida (Cav.) Piper – Cathie's bean
• Canavalia nualoloensis H.St.John
• Canavalia obidensis Ducke
• Canavalia oxyphylla Standl. & L.O. Williams
• Canavalia palmeri (Piper) Standl.
• Canavalia papuana Merr. & L.M. Perry
• Canavalia parviflora Benth.
• Canavalia peninsularis H.St.John
• Canavalia picta Benth.
• Canavalia piperi Killip & J.F.Macbr.
• Canavalia plagiosperma Piper – giant bean, oblique-seed jack-bean
• Canavalia pubescens Hook. & Arn. – lavafield jack-bean
• Canavalia raiateensis J.W. Moore
• Canavalia ramosii J.D. Sauer
• Canavalia regalis Piper & Dunn
• Canavalia rockii H.St.John
• Canavalia rosea (Sw.) DC. – bay bean, beach-bean, coastal jack-bean, fire-bean, Mackenzie-bean
• Canavalia rutilans DC.
• Canavalia sanguinea H.St.John
• Canavalia saueri Fantz
• Canavalia septentrionalis J.D. Sauer
• Canavalia sericea A. Gray
• Canavalia sericophylla Ducke
• Canavalia stenophylla H.St.John
• Canavalia villosa Benth.

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Formerly placed here

• Dysolobium grande (Wall. ex Benth.) Prain (as C. grandis (Wall. ex Benth.) Kurz)

==Gallery==

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See also

• Thierry Bardini – researched jack-bean agriculture early in his career

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External links

• International Plant Names Index: Canavalia taxa database.

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