Bay-bean (Canavalia rosea, Prodr. 2: 404 (1825))

Family: Fabaceae

Author: (Sw.) DC.

Bibliography: Prodr. 2: 404 (1825)

Year: 1825

Status: accepted

Rank: species

Genus: Canavalia

Vegetable: Unknown

Observations: Tropics & Subtropics

Description

Bay-bean is a captivating member of the Fabaceae family, known scientifically as Canavalia rosea. First described in 1825, this remarkable plant bears the botanical authority of (Sw.) DC., a testament to its longstanding recognition in the scientific community.

Native to the tropics and subtropics, Bay-bean thrives in diverse environmental conditions, showcasing its adaptability and resilience. Its robust presence in warm climates underscores its ecological versatility, allowing it to flourish along coastlines and sandy shores where many plants struggle to survive.

Canavalia rosea is admired not only for its tenacious growth but also for its aesthetic appeal. Its lush green foliage and distinctive pink to purple flowers make it a vibrant addition to the natural landscapes it adorns. These flowers, which bloom profusely, contribute to the plant’s role in supporting local ecosystems by attracting various pollinators.

The Bay-bean is more than just a visual delight. As a member of the legume family, it plays a crucial role in soil enrichment through nitrogen fixation. This symbiotic process involves converting atmospheric nitrogen into a form that plants can absorb and utilize, significantly enhancing soil fertility and promoting the health of surrounding plant life.

Over the years, Canavalia rosea has also piqued the interest of researchers and botanists due to its potential uses in traditional medicine and agriculture. Its seeds and foliage have been studied for various compounds that may offer benefits ranging from medicinal properties to potential agricultural applications.

In summary, Bay-bean, or Canavalia rosea, is a noteworthy plant that exemplifies the beauty and utility of the natural world. Found in the tropics and subtropics, it not only embellishes its habitats with vibrant colors but also contributes significantly to ecological balance and soil health, making it a plant of both aesthetic and practical importance.

Common Names

Msa: kacang hantu
Eng: mackenzie-bean, bay-bean, baybean, beach-bean, coastal canavalia, coastal jack-bean, fire-bean, seaside jack-bean, bay bean, beach bean, sea peas, horse-bean
Por: feijão-da-praia
En: Bay-bean, Beach-bean, Mackenzie-bean, Seaside jack-bean, Fire-bean, Coastal canavalia, Coastal jack-bean, Baybean, Bay Pod, Beach Bean, Coastal bean, Fire bean, MayKenzie bean, Seaside bean, Bay bean, Coastal jackbean, MacKenzie bean, Sea Peas, Horse-bean, Coastal Jack Bean, Horse Bean, Liane Caiman, Liane Cocorico, Mate de Costa, Narrow Jackbean, Pois Liane, Sea Bean
Af: Strandboontjie
Zh: 海刀豆, 濱刀豆
Fr: Liane Caiman, Liane cochon, Patate cochon
De: MacKenzie-Bohne
Ja: Nagami-hama-nata-mame
Ms: Kacang hantu
Fa: لوبیای ساحلی
Pt: Feijão-da-praia
Es: Haba de playa, Canavalia, Habichuela playera, Mato de playa
Sw: Mgobi
Zh-tw: 濱刀豆
Th: ถั่วคล้าทะเล

Synonyms

• Canavalia miniata ((Kunth) DC.)
• Canavalia moneta (Welw.)
• Rhynchosia rosea (DC.)
• Dolichos obtusifolius (Lam.)
• Canavalia baueriana (Endl.)
• Canavalia obtusifolia var. emarginatus ((Jacq.) DC.)
• Glycine rosea (G.Forst.)
• Canavalia emarginata ((Jacq.) G.Don)
• Canavalia apiculata (Piper)
• Dolichos emarginatus (Jacq.)
• Dolichos roseus (Sw.)
• Canavalia arenicola (Piper)
• Dolichos rotundifolius (Vahl)
• Canavalia obcordata ((Roxb.) Voigt)
• Canavalia rutilans (DC.)
• Canavalia obtusifolia (DC.)
• Canavalia maritima (Thouars)
• Dolichos obovatus (Schumach. & Thonn.)
• Dolichos miniatus (Kunth)
• Dolichos obcordatus (Roxb.)
• Dolichos littoralis (Vell.)
• Dolichos maritimus (Aubl.)
• Mucuna rutilans (DC.)
• Canavalia podocarpa (Dunn)
• Clitoria rotundifolia (Sessé & Moc.)
• Dolichos ovalifolius (Schumach. & Thonn.)

Distribution

• Aldabra (native)
• Andaman Is. (native)
• Angola (native)
• Aruba (native)
• Bahamas (native)
• Bangladesh (native)
• Belize (native)
• Benin (native)
• Bermuda (native)
• Bismarck Archipelago (native)
• Borneo (native)
• Brazil North (native)
• Brazil Northeast (native)
• Brazil South (native)
• Brazil Southeast (native)
• Burkina (native)
• Cambodia (native)
• Cameroon (native)
• Cape Provinces (native)
• Caroline Is. (native)
• Cayman Is. (native)
• Central American Pac (native)
• China Southeast (native)
• Colombia (native)
• Comoros (native)
• Congo (native)
• Costa Rica (native)
• Cuba (native)
• Dominican Republic (native)
• Ecuador (native)
• El Salvador (native)
• Equatorial Guinea (native)
• Fiji (native)
• Florida (native)
• French Guiana (native)
• Gabon (native)
• Galápagos (native)
• Gambia (native)
• Ghana (native)
• Guatemala (native)
• Guinea (native)
• Guinea-Bissau (native)
• Gulf of Guinea Is. (native)
• Guyana (native)
• Hainan (native)
• Haiti (native)
• Honduras (native)
• India (native)
• Ivory Coast (native)
• Jamaica (native)
• Jawa (native)
• Kazan-retto (native)
• Kenya (native)
• Kermadec Is. (native)
• KwaZulu-Natal (native)
• Laos (native)
• Leeward Is. (native)
• Lesser Sunda Is. (native)
• Liberia (native)
• Madagascar (native)
• Malaya (native)
• Maldives (native)
• Mali (native)
• Maluku (native)
• Marianas (native)
• Marquesas (native)
• Marshall Is. (native)
• Mauritius (native)
• Mexican Pacific Is. (native)
• Mexico Central (native)
• Mexico Gulf (native)
• Mexico Northeast (native)
• Mexico Northwest (native)
• Mexico Southeast (native)
• Mexico Southwest (native)
• Mozambique (native)
• Mozambique Channel I (native)
• Myanmar (native)
• Nansei-shoto (native)
• Nauru (native)
• Netherlands Antilles (native)
• New Caledonia (native)
• New Guinea (native)
• New South Wales (native)
• Nicaragua (native)
• Nicobar Is. (native)
• Nigeria (native)
• Norfolk Is. (native)
• Northern Territory (native)
• Panamá (native)
• Peru (native)
• Philippines (native)
• Pitcairn Is. (native)
• Puerto Rico (native)
• Queensland (native)
• Rodrigues (native)
• Réunion (native)
• Samoa (native)
• Santa Cruz Is. (native)
• Senegal (native)
• Seychelles (native)
• Sierra Leone (native)
• Society Is. (native)
• Solomon Is. (native)
• Somalia (native)
• South China Sea (native)
• Southwest Caribbean (native)
• Sri Lanka (native)
• Sulawesi (native)
• Sumatera (native)
• Suriname (native)
• Taiwan (native)
• Tanzania (native)
• Texas (native)
• Thailand (native)
• Togo (native)
• Tonga (native)
• Trinidad-Tobago (native)
• Tubuai Is. (native)
• Turks-Caicos Is. (native)
• Vanuatu (native)
• Venezuela (native)
• Venezuelan Antilles (native)
• Vietnam (native)
• Wallis-Futuna Is. (native)
• Western Australia (native)
• Windward Is. (native)
• Zaïre (native)
• Chagos Archipelago (introduced)
• Niue (introduced)

Additional Images

© copyright of the Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

© copyright of the Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

© copyright of the Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Habit

Taken Nov 23, 2016 by laurence comte (cc-by-sa)

Taken Dec 7, 2019 by Sylvain Piry (cc-by-sa)

Taken Jan 2, 2021 by Mélanie Herteman (cc-by-sa)

Taken Feb 20, 2017 by Tela Botanica − Liliane ROUBAUDI (cc-by-sa)

Taken Feb 20, 2017 by Tela Botanica − Liliane ROUBAUDI (cc-by-sa)

Fruit

Taken Feb 20, 2017 by Tela Botanica − Liliane ROUBAUDI (cc-by-sa)

Taken Feb 20, 2017 by Tela Botanica − Liliane ROUBAUDI (cc-by-sa)

Taken Feb 20, 2017 by Tela Botanica − Liliane ROUBAUDI (cc-by-sa)

Taken Dec 7, 2019 by Sylvain Piry (cc-by-sa)

Taken Jul 12, 2018 by Hugo SANTACREU (cc-by-sa)

Flower

Taken Jul 14, 2018 by Hugo SANTACREU (cc-by-sa)

Taken Jul 12, 2018 by Hugo SANTACREU (cc-by-sa)

Taken Dec 25, 2012 by Franco Colnago (cc-by-sa)

Taken Oct 10, 2022 by Blue Bottle (cc-by-sa)

Taken Nov 9, 2019 by galagarza madison (cc-by-sa)

Leaf

Taken Apr 24, 2021 by Tina Peters (cc-by-sa)

Taken Mar 31, 2020 by ziyad abdulqadir (cc-by-sa)

Taken Jul 7, 2021 by Sousa Leite António (cc-by-sa)

Taken Jul 7, 2021 by Sousa Leite António (cc-by-sa)

Taken Sep 9, 2022 by Marzanna Bug (cc-by-sa)

Bark

Taken Jan 15, 2022 by Maarten Vanhove (cc-by-sa)

Taken Mar 18, 2021 by Sébastien TRASBOT (cc-by-sa)

Taken Dec 21, 2004 by EOL − Reinaldo aguilar (cc-by-nc-sa)

Taken Jul 11, 2019 by Bruce Winter (cc-by-sa)

Taken Apr 5, 2016 by Hugo SANTACREU (cc-by-sa)

Other

Taken Jun 10, 2018 by Nelson Zamora Villalobos (cc-by-nc)

Taken Feb 23, 2013 by R. Tournebize (cc-by-sa)

Taken Feb 23, 2013 by R. Tournebize (cc-by-sa)

Taken Feb 23, 2013 by R. Tournebize (cc-by-sa)

Sources

• WFO (No URL)
• IPNI (No URL)
• GBIF (https://www.gbif.org/species/2962021)
• POWO (http://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:30187778-2)
• PlantNet (https://identify.plantnet.org/species/the-plant-list/Canavalia rosea (Sw.) DC.)

Specifications

Growth