Canavalia
Sign in to saveCanavalia is a genus of plants in the legume family (Fabaceae) that comprises approximately 73 species of tropical vines. Members of the genus are commonly known as jack-beans. It has a pantropical distribution.
Taxonomy · GBIF
GENUS
- KingdomPlantae
- PhylumTracheophyta
- ClassMagnoliopsida
- OrderFabales
- FamilyFabaceae
via GBIF · CC0
Article
9 sectionsContents
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Canavalia is a genus of plants in the legume family (Fabaceae) that comprises approximately 73 species of tropical vines. Members of the genus are commonly known as jack-beans. It has a pantropical distribution.
The species of Canavalia endemic to the Hawaiian Islands were named by the Native Hawaiians. The name translates to "the very quick one" and comes from the Hawaiian word for "fast". The genus name is derived from the Malabar word for the species, kavavali, which means "forest climber".