.
kan-uh-VAY-lee-uh — Latinized form of the Malabar vernacular kanavali
glad-ee-AY-tuh — sword-like
.
commonly known as: Jack bean, Jamaican horse bean, scimitar bean, sword bean • Assamese: kamtal urahi • Hindi: मक्खन सेम makkhan sem • Kannada: ಶಿಮ್ಬೆ ಅವರೆ shimbe avare • Malayalam: വാള് പയര്‍ vaal payara • Manipuri: তেবী tebi • Marathi: अबई abai • Sanskrit: आशीशिम्बी aasishimbi, महाशिम्बी mahashimbi • Urdu: مکهن سيم makkhan sem
.
India (N):  Andhra Pradesh ; Arunachal Pradesh; Assam ; Bihar ; Dadra-Nagar-Haveli ; Delhi ; Goa ; Gujarat; Haryana ; Himachal Pradesh ; Jammu-Kashmir ; Karnataka; Kerala ; Madhaya Pradesh ; Maharashtra ; Manipur ; Meghalaya Mizoram ; Nagaland ; Orissa ; Pondicherry ; Punjab ; Rajasthan; Sikkim ; Tamil Nadu; Tripura ; Uttar Pradesh ; West Bengal; Andaman Is (I); Nicobar Is (N) and other countries as per ILDIS;
.
Andaman Is; Angola; Argentina; Australia; Bangladesh; Belize; Benin; Bhutan; Bolivia; Brazil; Burundi; Cambodia; Cameroon; Caribbean-TRP; Chad; Chagos Archipelago; China; Colombia; Comoro Is; Costa Rica; Cuba; Dominican Republic; East Timor; Egypt; El Salvador; Ethiopia; Fiji; French Guiana; Gabon; Ghana; Grenada; Guadeloupe; Guam; Guatemala; Guinea; Guinea Bissau; Guyana; Hainan; Haiti; Hawaii; Honduras; India; Indonesia; Ivory Coast; Jamaica; Japan; Jawa; Kalimantan; Kenya; Kiribati Line Is; Laos; Lesser Sunda Is; Liberia; Madagascar; Malaysia; Maldives; Mali; Marshall Is; Martinique; Mauritius; Mexico; Mexico(North & Central); Mexico(South East); Moluccas; Mozambique; Myanmar; Nauru; Nepal; New Caledonia; Nicobar Is; Niger; Nigeria; Northern Marianas; Panama; Papua New Guinea; Paraguay; Peninsular Malaysia; Peru; Philippines; Puerto Rico; Reunion; Rodrigues; Sabah; Sao Tome & Principe; Sarawak; Senegal; Seychelles; Sierra Leone; Singapore; Society Is; South Africa; Sri Lanka; Sudan; Sulawesi; Sumatera; Surinam; Taiwan; Tanzania; Thailand; Togo; Trinidad & Tobago; United States; Venezuela; Vietnam; Virgin Is; Zaire; Zambia; Zimbabwe as per Catalogue of Life;
.
Originally cultivated in E Asia and now widely cultivated in the tropics, this plant is not known out of cultivation, except as an escape as per Flora of China and Flora of Peninsular India 2;
.
Key available at:
.

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Is it Sword Bean (250409YS1-2) : 16 posts by 7 authors. Attachments (2)
Is it some type of sword bean? Please help ID this. Searched Dave’s garden website, but no luck.

When & where?


North Delhi, today (near Narela). (25.4.09)


It looks like a Canavalia spp. for sure.


Canavalia gladiata, common sword bean, isn’t it? I see so.


Yes … It looks Canavalia gladiata.
Is it not known as ‘Sem or Saim’ in Hindi?
Some more information from the net”

…..Long cultivated in Asia for food and as a medicinal plant, this fast growing semi-erect vine bears beautiful pinky-lavender 1” blooms Spring thru Summer surrounded by lush, highly attractive foliage. Generally growing to about 6-10’ tall here in the US, the funnest part is its extraordinary large bean pods to 1’ long. They’re edible too – cooked like snap beans – just harvest when immature at about 4” long. Requires a long growing season, but will overwinter if kept warm to bloom in year two! Beautiful 1” pink seeds form as the pods mature. Give it sun, rich soil and a strong support. Excellent nitrogen fixer.


It looks like it. Canavalia gladiata. I have attached my
pic. Identified in the same forum.


Is this what is called “avarakkai” in Tamil?


Avarakkai is a favourite vegetable of many [including of
yours truly!]. This is more a wild variety.


Yes it is canavalia gladiata. derived from the malayalam name ranavalia

… many thanks … for info about genus name Canavalia being derived from Malayalam ranavalia
I have a book – Scientific Names of Plants Explained by S. P. Dixit, which states derivation from Malabar (Malayalam) kana valli (വല്ലി valli refers to climber / creeper)
Malayalam knowing friends, please put some light here and it would be great if you provide it in native script also.

… commonly known as: Jack bean, Jamaican horse bean, scimitar bean, sword bean • Assamese: kamtal urahi • Hindi: मक्खन सेम makkhan sem • Kannada: ಶಿಮ್ಬೆ ಅವರೆ shimbe avare • Malayalam: വാള് പയര്‍ vaal payara • Manipuri: তেবী tebi • Marathi: अबई abai • Sanskrit: आशीशिम्बी aasishimbi, महाशिम्बी mahashimbi • Urdu:   مکهن سيم makkhan sem
… sometimes I wonder how easily are C. cathartica, C. ensiformis, and C. gladiata differentiated ?


Here are the differences…. please go through it….

by Backhuys Publishers, G. J. H. Grubben, O. A … – 2004 – Vegetables – 667 pages
Also, an analysis based on DNA data designed to distinguish legume species failed to find differences between Canavalia ensiformis and Canavalia gladiata. …
books.google.co.in/books?isbn=9057821478


Here are some more differences….. link

… many many thanks … what concerns me is the dimensions of the fruit !! (And that is where species differ visually … much of the range is overlapping, thus not clearly a differentiating key)
About the dimensions of the flowers … they may help … and I will try to measure the sizes of petals when I get to Canavalia plants.
Width of legumes:
The Vegetables – Google Books Result states 3 cm, and cached contents of University of Florida, IFAS also puts the width to 1 inch
These figures make me wonder whether the Canavalia species that I find in Thane district grow smaller sized legumes.
If my visualization is not wrong, I think the width is max 2 cm, length is max 6 inches.
I am assuming such variations are based on climatic conditions, habitat, &c.

.


Canavalia gladiata – Flower and Fruit:


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Canavalia gladiata-young:  Growing this uncommon bean in my garden. Called Sword bean, it germinated quite quickly.. leaves enlarging greatly everyday..



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Vine ID request – RK82 – 7-Jan-2013: Requesting identification of this vine growing in Tungareshwer. The flowers had not opened in the morning but I have attached some photos of the buds etc. The fruit size is roughly around five to six inches long. Could not go closer since it was very dense. Thank you.

… the sword bean, Canavalia gladiata (family: Fabaceae ~ Papilionaceae).



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Fwd: Kindly ID Plants : 8 posts by 5 authors. Attachments (3).


Could it be a species of Canavalia?


Canavalia sp


According to my knowledge this plant belong to family Fabaceae


looks like Canavalia gladiata


This species is Canavalia gladiata ?
# it is cultivated for its tender seeds and founds on hedges, along villages etc. in Marathwada region of Maharashtra, India.


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Flora of Madh: Canavalia gladiata (Jacq.) DC. : VG-JUL-07 : 2 posts by 2 authors. Attachments (4)
Sharing some images of the flowers, fruit, and the leaf of the twining Canavalia gladiata.
Photographed on Madh Hill (North Mumbai) in March 2015.


Thanks, …, for these wonderful uploads.



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efloraindia: 261111 BRS 200:

Pl. find the attached file contain photo for id. request.
Location: NBNP Garden
Date: 25.11.2011
Habitat: Wild
Habit: Climber.
Flowering and fruiting noticed during Nov.2011.

Canavalia for sure. May be C. cathartica. … for Canavalia the leaves are one of the important characters to ID the species.


I could not find any keys for Indian species on net except at Flora of China.
These take me to Canavalia gladiata (Jacquin) Candolle for your species with legume much bigger compared to the acuminate leaves.
I want to have your & others views before final decision.


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Dear friends:
Found this beautifull climber at sanjay gandhi national park. Canavalia ensiformis (Leguminosea) अबई yeooor hill, Thane 15/11/2012


I could not find any keys for Indian species on net except at Flora of China.
Can not be determined with these images.
However, if we go by acuminate apex, than it may be Canavalia gladiata (Jacquin) Candolle


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at Suchindrum (kanyakumari dist).- Dec.’08?; end Feb’09 in Srirangapatna; North Delhi- 25/4/09; 17th of October, 2008: 2.58 pm: Kumarakom, Kerala; id please – indiantreepix | Google Groups

Request for ID:Climber from Kumarakom:110310-AK-1 – efloraofindia | Google Groups
Wild Flower for ID-050309-RK – indiantreepix | Google Groups
ID Required – indiantreepix | Google Groups



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Fabaceae-Faboideae (Papilionaceae) Week :: Canavalia gladiata at Tungareshwar Wildlife Sanctuary & Bassein Fort:
Canavalia gladiata (Jacq.) DC.

kan-uh-VAY-lee-uh — Latinized form of the Malabar vernacular kanavali
glad-ee-AY-tuh — sword-like
Dec 4, 2009 … at Tungareshwar Wildlife Sanctuary, Maharashtra
commonly known as: Jack bean, Jamaican horse bean, scimitar bean, sword bean • Assamese: kamtal urahi • Hindi: मक्खन सेम makkhan sem • Kannada: ಶಿಮ್ಬೆ ಅವರೆ shimbe avare • Malayalam: വാള് പയര്‍ vaal payara • Manipuri: তেবী tebi • Marathi: अबई abai • Sanskrit: आशीशिम्बी aasishimbi, महाशिम्बी mahashimbi • Urdu: مکهن سيم makkhan sem
Native to: paleotropics
some views: Nov 29, 2008 … at Tungareshwar Wildlife Sanctuary, Maharashtra
Feb 26, 2011 … at Bassein Fort, Maharashtra

Somehow I have not managed to observe any Canavalias closely….
Some common characters of the genera…
Flowers Rosy Purple.
Pods flat, constricted between seeds. Both seen here.
Specific character of the species C.gladiata…………..Seeds red or reddish 2.5 cm long.
Whereas ivory/ white in C.ensiformis. Brown in C.africana


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Canavalia gladiata (Jacq.) DC.
at Tungareshwar Wildlife Sanctuary on December 4, 2009
along National Highway No. 8 on November 8, 2008
at Tungareshwar Wildlife Sanctuary on February 2, 2008
in Bassein Fort on February 26, 2011


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Flora of Kaiga_ID_Confirmation 19082015 PTR1 : 3 posts by 2 authors. Attachments (2)
Is this Mucuna pruriens Pl confirm attached 2 pics

Flora of Kaiga_ID__ConfirmationPlease
Date/Time-:16/08/15   –    11:30
Location- Place, Altitude – Kaiga , Uttar Kannada, Karnataka, 380 mtrs
Habitat- Garden/ Urban/ Wild/ Type-   wild
Habit- Tree/ Shrub/ Climber/ Herb- Herb – Climber


Canavalia gladiata



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Canavalia gladiata :: Nagla block of SGNP :: 21 DEC 19 : 11 posts by 3 authors. 4 images.
Nagla forest  … part of Sanjay Gandhi National Park
Date: December 21, 2019 … Altitude: sea level to about 600 ft asl
Canavalia gladiata  (Savi) DC. 

Fruit pod is not long enough,
Your all ingredients are exactly similar to species found in Surat which is almost certainly Canavalia cathartica.
I am waiting for mature dry pods so that seeds and hilum measurements can be done, then I shall post.


Thanks … I am going with the knowledge that C. gladiata is known as common canavalia, though I am not sure whether it is termed common because it is cultivated. Do please validate in due course whether this is the wild C. cathartica. The posted pictures are of plant growing in vicinity of human habitat, so I have considered it as an escape.


C. cathartica grows very commonly near human settlements on fences, thickets, bushes, walls.
C. gladiata pod is said to be 30 to 50 cm long. C. ensiformis is less longer but still longer than C. cathartica, but thinner. C. rosea is smallest. 


Thanks …,
C. cathartica grows wild, and I thought is found along banks of rivers, canals and backwaters … Herbarium JCB.
C. gladiata, mostly cultivated in India, Herbarium JCB … not able to know the dimensions of pod from the description.
Let me relook into my sightings of Canavalia … will post them for validations in due course.

Pl. check with the keys at Flora of China
Most of the species are reported in India as per details at Canavalia


I re-checked all the posts in efi on Canavalia.
I found most of them to be OK.
I think this post by …. also appears to be closer to Canavalia gladiata (Jacq.) DC. (as per images and references herein) rather than those at Canavalia cathartica Thouars as the leaves appear to be acuminate rather than acute and pods also appears to be larger.

.


Canavalia gladiata (Jacq.) DC. :: Waghbil, Thane, Maharashtra :: Mar 16, 2010 · 4:26 PM IST: 2 images.
Canavalia gladiata (Jacq.) DC.
Waghbil, Thane, Maharashtra :: Mar 16, 2010 · 4:26 PM IST :: about 3 m (10 ft) asl


 

 


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References: