Canavalia rosea

Vines, perennial, herbaceous or woody, to 10 m. Stems twining or prostrate-trailing, pubescent to glabrate. Leaves: petiole 2–5.8 cm; petiolules 3–8.5 mm, moderately densely pubescent, hairs 0.2–0.4 mm; leaflet blades suborbiculate, elliptic, or oblong, 40–120 × 23–62 mm, base cuneate to rounded, apex emarginate or obtuse, surfaces moderately or densely pubescent or glabrous abaxially, sparsely pubescent adaxially. Panicles 9–21 cm; bracteoles 1.2–1.5 × 0.8–1.6 mm, apex obtuse. Pedicels 1.5–3 mm, strigillose. Flowers: calyx 10–12 mm; central lobe of abaxial lip slightly exceeding acute lateral lobes; corolla lavender to reddish purple, 25–30 mm. Legumes turgid to moderately compressed, oblong, 10–15 × 2–3.5 cm. Seeds (1–)4–8, red to brown, darkly marbled, slightly compressed, elliptic, 1.5–1.8 × 1.3–2 cm; hilum to 1/2 length of seed. 2n = 22.

Phenology: Flowering year-round.
Habitat: Dunes, beaches, scrub hammocks, palm groves, salt marsh edges.
Elevation: 0–100 m.

Fla., La., Tex., Mexico, West Indies, Central America, South America, Asia, Africa, Atlantic Islands, Pacific Islands, Australia.

Discussion

Canavalia rosea is frequent in Dixie County and central and southern peninsular Florida (R. P. Wunderlin and B. F. Hansen 2011), as well as being found in south coastal Texas in Cameron and Kenedy counties. D. Isely (1990) reported Canavalia rosea also from Alabama and Mississippi; corresponding specimens from those localities were not seen.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa