Canavalia

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Jack-beans
Canavalia sericea
Canavalia sericea
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Magnoliophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida
Subclass: Rosidae
(unranked) Eurosids I
Order: Fabales
Family: Fabaceae
Subfamily: Faboideae
Genus: Canavalia
DC.
Species

Some 70, see text

The genus Canavalia in the large legume family (Fabaceae), comprises approximately 70-75 species of tropical origin. They are commonly known as jack-beans. These vines have usually bright pea-flowers which are pollinated by insects such as solitary bees and carpenter bees (e.g. Xylocopa confusa).

Contents

[edit] 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[1]. The Common Jack-bean is also known for 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.

[edit] Species[2]

Parts drawing of Canavalia cathartica. Francisco Manuel Blanco, Flora de Filipinas, etc (1880-1883)
Parts drawing of Canavalia cathartica. Francisco Manuel Blanco, Flora de Filipinas, etc (1880-1883)
  • 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.[verification needed] – 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[verification needed]
  • 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.

[edit] See also

Wikispecies has information related to:

[edit] Footnotes

  1. ^ Caamal-Maldonado et al. (2001)
  2. ^ ILDIS (2005)

[edit] References

  • Caamal-Maldonado, Jesús Arturo; Jiménez-Osornioa, Juan José ; Torres-Barragán, Andrea & Anaya, Ana Luisa (2001): The Use of Allelopathic Legume Cover and Mulch Species for Weed Control in Cropping Systems. Agronomy Journal 93(1): 27-36. PDF fulltext
  • International Legume Database & Information Service (ILDIS) (2005): Genus Canavalia. Version 10.01, November 2005. Retrieved 2007-DEC-17.

[edit] External links

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