Canavalia

Taxobox
name = Jack-beans

---

image_width = 240px
image_caption = "Canavalia sericea"
regnum = Plantae
divisio = Magnoliophyta
classis = Magnoliopsida
subclassis = Rosidae
unranked_ordo = Eurosids I
ordo = Fabales
familia = Fabaceae
subfamilia = Faboideae
genus = "Canavalia"
genus_authority = DC.
subdivision_ranks = Species
subdivision = Some 70, see text

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" [Pukui "et al." (1992)] 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 [Caamal-Maldonado "et al." (2001)] . 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.

pecies [ILDIS (2005)]

*"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.Verify source|date=December 2007 – "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.) VogelVerify source|date=December 2007
*"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.

ee 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. [http://agron.scijournals.org/cgi/reprint/93/1/27.pdf PDF fulltext]
* (2005): [http://www.ildis.org/ 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: [http://www.ipni.org/ipni/advPlantNameSearch.do?find_family=&find_genus=Canavalia&find_species=&find_infrafamily=&find_infragenus=&find_infraspecies=&find_authorAbbrev=&find_includePublicationAuthors=on&find_includePublicationAuthors=off&find_includeBasionymAuthors=on&find_includeBasionymAuthors=off&find_publicationTitle=&find_isAPNIRecord=on&find_isAPNIRecord=false&find_isGCIRecord=on&find_isGCIRecord=false&find_isIKRecord=on&find_isIKRecord=false&find_rankToReturn=all&output_format=normal&find_sortByFamily=on&find_sortByFamily=off&query_type=by_query&back_page=plantsearch "Canavalia"] taxa database.