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Canavalia

(Genus)

Overview

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Canavalia is a genus of flowering plants in the legume family (Fabaceae) and comprises approximately 70-75 species of tropical vines. Members of the genus are commonly known as jack-beans. The species of Canavalia endemic to the Hawaiian Islands were named awikiwiki by the Native Hawaiians. That name means essentially "the very quick one"[2] and comes from the Hawaiian word for "fast" that has also been appropriated into the name "Wikipedia". The genus name is derived from the Malabar word for the species, kavavali, which means "forest climber."[3]

Uses

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Several species are valued legume crops, including Common Jack-bean (C. ensiformis), Sword Bean (C. gladiata) and C. cathartica. At least the first mak es a beneficial weed- and pathogen-suppressing living mulch.[4] The Common Jack-bean is also known as the plant from which the lectin concanavalin A, con A is produced. This lectin is of major commercial and scientific importance as a reagent in glycoprotein biochemistry and immunology. Also, the Jack-bean is a common source of purified urease enzyme for scientific research.

Bay Bean (Canavalia rosea) supposedly is mildly psychoactive when smoked; it is used in tobacco substitutes.

Ecology

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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. The usually bright pea-flowers are pollinated by insects such as solitary bees and carpenter bees (e.g. Xylocopa confusa).

History

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The genus name Canavalia was, as recently as 1913, known as Canavali[5]

Species[6]

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Parts drawing of Canavalia cathartica. Francisco Manuel Blanco, Flora de Filipinas , etc (1880-1883)
Canavalia lineata in Kawal Wildlife Sanctuary, India.

Formerly placed here

Gallery

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See also

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Footnotes

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  1. ^ a b "Genus: Canavalia Adans.". Germplasm Resources Information Network. United States Department of Agriculture. 2007-10-05. http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/genus.pl?2025. Retrieved 2010-12-03. 
  2. ^ Pukui et al. (1992)
  3. ^ Austin, Daniel F. (2004). Florida Ethnobotany. CRC Press. pp. 161. ISBN 9780849323324. http://books.google.com/books?id=eS7lX_rC3GEC&. 
  4. ^ Caamal-Maldonado et al. (2001)
  5. ^ Piper, C.V. 1913. "The Jack Bean and the Sword Bean." USDA Bureau of Plant Industry, Circular. No. 110. p. 29-36
  6. ^ ILDIS (2005)
  7. ^ a b "GRIN Species Records of Canavalia". Germplasm Resources Information Network. United States Department of Agriculture. http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/splist.pl?2025. Retrieved 2010-12-03. 
  8. ^ a b c d e f "?awikiwiki, puakauhi". Hawaiian Ethnobotany Database. Bernice P. Bishop Museum. http://www2.bishopmuseum.org/ethnobotanydb/resultsdetailed.asp?search=awikiwiki. Retrieved 2009-03-26. 
  9. ^ "Canavalia galeata". Hawaiian Native Plant Propagation Database. University of Hawai?i at Manoa. http://www2.hawaii.edu/~eherring/hawnprop/can-gale.htm. Retrieved 2009-03-26. 
>Canavalia is a genus of flowering plants in the legume family (Fabaceae) and comprises approximately 70-75 species of tropical vines. Members of the genus are commonly known as jack-beans. The species of Canavalia endemic to the Hawaiian Islands were named awikiwiki by the Native Hawaiians. That name means essentially "the very quick one"[2] and comes from the Hawaiian word for "fast" that has also been appropriated into the name "Wikipedia". The genus name is derived from the Malabar word for the species, kavavali, which means "forest climber."[3]

Uses

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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 weed- and pathogen-suppressing living mulch.[4] The Common Jack-bean is also k nown as the plant from which the lectin concanavalin A, con A is produced. This lectin is of major commercial and scientific importance as a reagent in glycoprotein biochemistry and immunology. Also, the Jack-bean is a common source of purified urease enzyme for scientific research.

Bay Bean (Canavalia rosea) supposedly is mildly psychoactive when smoked; it is used in tobacco substitutes.

Ecology

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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. The usually bright pea-flowers are pollinated by insects such as solitary bees and carpenter bees (e.g. Xylocopa confusa).

History

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The genus name Canavalia was, as recently as 1913, known as Canavali[5]

Species[6]

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Parts drawing of Canavalia cathartica. Francisco Manuel Blanco, Flora de Filipinas, etc (1880-1883)
Canavalia lineata in Kawal Wildlife Sanctuary, India.

Formerly placed here

Gallery

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See also

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Footnotes

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  1. ^ a b "Genus: Canavalia Adans.". Germplasm Resources Information Network. United States Department of Agriculture. 2007-10-05. http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/genus.pl?2025. Retrieved 2010-12-03. 
  2. ^ Pukui et al. (1992)
  3. ^ Austin, Daniel F. (2004). Florida Ethnobotany. CRC Press. pp. 161. ISBN 9780849323324. http://books.google.com/books?id=eS7lX_rC3GEC&. 
  4. ^ Caamal-Maldonado et al. (2001)
  5. ^ Piper, C.V. 1913. "The Jack Bean and the Sword Bean." USDA Bureau of Plant Industry, Circular. No. 110. p. 29-36
  6. ^ ILDIS (2005)
  7. ^ a b "GRIN Species Records of Canavalia". Germplasm Resources Information Network. United States Department of Agriculture. http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/splist.pl?2025. Retrieved 2010-12-03. 
  8. ^ a b c d e f "?awikiwiki, puakauhi". Hawaiian Ethnobotany Database. Bernice P. Bishop Museum. http://www2.bishopmuseum.org/ethnobotanydb/resultsdetailed.asp?search=awikiwiki. Retrieved 2009-03-26. 
  9. ^ "Canavalia galeata". Hawaiian Native Plant Propagation Database. University of Hawai?i at Manoa. http://www2.hawaii.edu/~eherring/hawnprop/can-gale.htm. Retrieved 2009-03-26. 

References

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External links

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Taxonomy

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The Genus Canavalia is further organized into finer groupings including:

References

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External links

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Footnotes

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  1. ^ "Canavalia Adans.". Germplasm Resources Information Network. United States Department of Agriculture. 2007-10-05. http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/genus.pl?2025. Retrieved on 2009-03-26. 
  2. ^ Pukui et al. (199 2)
  3. ^ Caamal-Maldonado et al. (2001)
  4. ^ ILDIS (2005)
  5. ^ a b c d e f "?awikiwiki, puakauhi". Hawaiian Ethnobotany Database. Bernice P. Bishop Museum. http://www2.bishopmuseum.org/ethnobotanydb/resultsdetailed.asp?search=awikiwiki. Retrieved on 2009-03-26. 
  6. ^ "Canavalia galeata". Hawaiian Native Plant Propagation Database. University of Hawai?i at Manoa. http://www2.hawaii.edu/~eherring/hawnprop/can-gale.htm. Retrieved on 2009-03-26. 

Sources

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Last Revised: August 24, 2012
2012/08/24 14:12:56