| Dicotyledon | Literature for Canavalia cathartica
Wagner et al., 1990, 1999. |
| Fabaceae -- The Pea Family | Bibliography |
| Canavalia cathartica | |
Common name(s): maunaloa |
| General Information | ||
|---|---|---|
| Distribution | Paleotropical, ranging from East Africa to India and the Ryukyu Islands through Malesia to Polynesia.In the Hawaiian Islands, naturalized on Kaua`i, O`ahu, Moloka`i, Maui, Hawai`i. |
|
| Habit |
Perennial climbers. |
|
| Leaves |
Leaflets chartaceous, broadly ovate to ovate or sometimes broadly elliptic, (3.5-)8-12(-20) cm long, (2.5-)6-10(-14) cm wide, sparsely appressed pubescent primarily on nerves of lower surface, apex acuminate or acute, occasionally rounded. |
|
| Flowers |
Flowers 10-26 in pendulous pseudoracemes 4-12 cm long; calyx 13-18 mm long, sparsely appressed pubescent, the margins of upper lip not folded, the upper edge constricted just behind apex, upper lip hemispherical, 3-3.5 mm long, the 2 lobes distinct, lowest lobe 1.5-2 mm long; corolla rose, standard with a white spot at base, obcordate, 30-32 mm long, wing petals not twisted, 28-30 mm long, keel petals 28-35 mm long. |
|
| Fruit |
Pods straight or slightly curved, inflated, 8-13.5 cm long, 3-4.5 cm wide, each valve with a sutural ridge and an additional longitudinal ridge 3-6 mm below the upper suture. |
|
| Seeds |
Seeds dark reddish brown, becoming dark brown, somewhat compressed, 14-19 mm long, 9-12 mm wide, the hilum 9-14 mm long. |
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