Canavalia
Canavalia ensiformis
jackbean
Jack bean
twining, trailing, prostrate, or erect, glabrous, glabrate, strigulose, or glabrescent.
alternate, odd-pinnate;
stipules present, caducous, deltate and small or obsolete;
petiolate;
stipels deciduous;
leaflets 3, blade margins entire, surfaces strigose, glabrate, or glabrous.
stipules 0.6–1.3 × 0.4–1 mm;
petiole 5–12 cm;
petiolules 3.6–7.8 mm, moderately to densely pubescent, hairs 0.3 mm;
leaflet blades ovate-elliptic, 60–150(–200) × 26–82 mm, base cuneate, apex obtuse or subacute, surfaces glabrate.
to 15 cm;
bracteoles 2 × 1 mm, apex obtuse.
8–50-flowered, axillary, panicles;
bracts present, caducous;
axis retrorsely pubescent basally, antrorsely pubescent apically;
bracteoles present, calycine.
2–2.3 mm, strigillose.
papilionaceous;
calyx campanulate, 2-lipped, lobes 5, abaxial lip with 3 short lobes, adaxial lip with 2 massive connate lobes;
corolla lavender, pink-purple, purple and white (bicolored), white, blue-violet, or reddish purple [pink-white], 20–35 mm, glabrous;
stamens 10, monadelphous;
anthers basifixed, dehiscing apically, relatively small.
calyx 9.7–14 mm;
central lobe of abaxial lip exceeding ± acute lateral lobes;
corolla lavender to pink-purple, 20–28 mm.
legumes, stipitate, straight or ± falcate, ± compressed, sometimes turgid, oblong or narrowly oblong [linear], 6–40 cm, well exceeding calyx, ventral margin 3–5-ribbed, adaxial (upper) margins 3-costate, dehiscent, strigose to glabrate.
slightly compressed, narrowly oblong, 15–35 × 3–3.5 cm.
(1–)4–15, oblong to elliptic in silhouette;
hilum lateral.
9–15, white or off-white, moderately compressed, oblong, 2 × 1.5 cm;
hilum shorter to longer than 1/2 length of seed.
= 11.
= 22.
Canavalia
Canavalia ensiformis
Species ca. 60 (4 in the flora).
Some Canavalia species are grown for cover crops, green manures, forage, and human consumption (G. P. Lewis et al. 2005). Coastal species produce drift-seeds.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
J. D. Sauer (1964) cited a Palmer collection (GH) of Canavalia ensiformis from plants grown at Harvard from seed, from either Arizona or Sonora; this specimen was not seen. Canavalia ensiformis is reported adventive in White County, Illinois (R. H. Mohlenbrock 1986); corresponding specimens have not been seen. It is cultivated for forage, erosion control, and as a green manure (D. Isely 1990).
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
1. Leaflet blades suborbiculate, elliptic, or oblong, apices emarginate or obtuse; legumes turgid to moderately compressed; seeds marbled, red to brown; hilum to 1/2 length of seed; coastal habitats. | C. rosea |
1. Leaflet blades ovate to ovate-elliptic, apices obtuse, acute, subacute, subacuminate, or acuminate; legumes slightly compressed; seeds usually not marbled (sometimes darkly so in C. brasiliensis), olive, brown, red, red-brown, white, or off-white; hilum shorter to longer than 1/2 length of seed; disturbed areas. | → 2 |
2. Leaflet apices acuminate; calyces with central lobe of abaxial lip equaling obtuse lateral lobes; seeds usually red to red-brown, rarely white. | C. gladiata |
2. Leaflet apices obtuse, subacute, or emarginate; calyces with central lobe of abaxial lip exceeding ± acute lateral lobes; seeds white, off-white, olive, brown, or red. | → 3 |
3. Stems twining or prostrate; petiolule hairs 0.5–0.9 mm; legumes 6–20 × 2–3 cm; seeds olive, brown, or red. | C. brasiliensis |
3. Stems twining or erect; petiolule hairs 0.3 mm; legumes 15–35 × 3–3.5 cm; seeds white or off-white. | C. ensiformis |
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