Canavalia
The genus Canavalia in the large legume family (Fabaceae), comprises approximately 70-75 species of tropical origin. These vines have usually bright pea-flowers which are pollinated by insects such as solitary bees and carpenter bees (e.g. ''Xylocopa confusa).
They are commonly known as jack-beans. The endemic Canavalia species in the Hawaiian Islands have been named ʻāwikiwiki by the Native Hawaiians. That name means essentially "the very quick one and comes from the Hawaiian word for "fast" that has also been appropriated into the name "Wikipedia".
Uses and ecology
Several species are valued legume crops, including Common Jack-bean (C. ensiformis), Sword Bean (C. gladiata) and Canavalia cathartica. At least the first makes a beneficial weed- and pathogen-suppressing living mulch. The Common Jack-bean is also known as the plant from which Concanavalin A was described. This lectin is of major commercial importance as a reagent in glycoprotein biochemistry and immunology.Bay Bean (Canavalia rosea) supposedly can act as a mild psychoactive when smoked; it is used in tobacco substitutes.
Some animals have adaptation to the defensive chemicals of jack-beans. Caterpillars for example of the Two-barred Flasher (Astraptes fulgerator) are sometimes found on Canavalia. The plant pathogenic ascomycete fungus Mycosphaerella canavaliae was described from a jack-bean. Introduced herbivores have wreaked havoc on Canavalia on the Hawaiian Islands and made some nearly extinct; it may be that these lost their chemical defenses as no herbivorous mammals existed in their range until introduced by humans.
Species
- 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. – feijão-bravo do Ceará (Brazil)
- Canavalia campylocarpa Piper
- Canavalia cathartica Thouars (= C. virosa (Roxb.) Wight & Arn.)
- Canavalia centralis St. John
- Canavalia concinna J.D.Sauer
- Canavalia dictyota Piper – disputed
- Canavalia dolichothyrsa G.P. Lewis
- Canavalia dura J.D. Sauer
- Canavalia ensiformis – Common Jack-bean, feijão-de-porco (Brazil)
- Canavalia eurycarpa Piper
- Canavalia forbesii St. John
- Canavalia galeata (Gaud.) Vogel
- Canavalia glabra (M. Martens & Galeotti) J.D.Sauer
- Canavalia gladiata – Sword Bean
- Canavalia grandiflora Benth.
- Canavalia haleakalaensis St. John
- Canavalia hawaiiensis O. & I.Deg. & J.D.Sauer
- Canavalia hirsutissima J.D. Sauer
- Canavalia iaoensis St. John
- Canavalia kauaiensis J.D.Sauer
- Canavalia kauensis St. John
- Canavalia lineata (Thunb.) DC.
- Canavalia macrobotrys Merr.
- Canavalia macropleura Piper
- Canavalia madagascariensis J.D.Sauer
- Canavalia makahaensis St. John
- Canavalia mattogrossensis (Barb. Rodr.) Malme
- Canavalia matudae J.D. Sauer
- Canavalia microsperma Urb.
- Canavalia mollis Wight & Arn.
- Canavalia molokaiensis – Molokaʻi Jack-bean
- Canavalia munroi (O. & I.Deg.) St. John
- Canavalia napaliensis – Mākaha Valley Jack-bean
- Canavalia nitida (Cav.) Piper
- Canavalia nualoloensis 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 St. John
- Canavalia picta Benth.
- Canavalia piperi Killip & J.F. Macbr.
- Canavalia plagiosperma Piper
- Canavalia pubescens – Lavafield Jack-bean
- Canavalia raiateensis J.W. Moore
- Canavalia ramosii J.D. Sauer
- Canavalia regalis Piper & Dunn
- Canavalia rockii St. John
- Canavalia rosea (Sw.) DC. – Bay Bean, feijão-de-praia (Brazil)
- Canavalia rutilans DC. – disputed
- Canavalia sanguinea St. John
- Canavalia saueri Fantz
- Canavalia septentrionalis J.D. Sauer
- Canavalia sericea A. Gray
- Canavalia sericophylla Ducke
- Canavalia stenophylla St. John
- Canavalia villosa Benth.
See also
- Thierry Bardini - researched Venezuelan jack-bean agriculture early in his career
Footnotes
References
- (2001): The Use of Allelopathic Legume Cover and Mulch Species for Weed Control in Cropping Systems. Agronomy Journal 93(1): 27-36. PDF fulltext
- (2005): Genus Canavalia Version 10.01, November 2005. Retrieved 2007-DEC-17.
- (1992): New Pocket Hawaiian Dictionary with a Concise Grammars and Given Names in Hawaiian. University of Hawaii PRess, Honolulu. ISBN 0-8248-1392-8
External links
- International Plant Names Index: Canavalia taxa database.
This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License.
Last updated on Monday October 06, 2008 at 08:37:06 PDT (GMT -0700)
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