Canavalia rosea

Canavalia rosea is a species of flowering plant of the genus Canavalia in the pea family of Fabaceae, it has a pantropical and subtropical distribution in upper beaches, cliffs, and dunes. Common names include beach bean, bay bean, sea bean, greater sea bean, seaside jack-bean, coastal jack-bean, and MacKenzie bean.

Description

Vine

Coastal jack-bean is a trailing, herbaceous vine that forms mats of foliage. Stems reach a length of more than and in thickness. Each compound leaf is made up of three leaflets in diameter, which will fold themselves when exposed to hot sunlight. It is highly salt-tolerant and prefers sandy soils.

Flowers and pods

The flowers are purplish pink and long, they hang upside down from long stalks and produce a sweet smell. The flat pods are straight or a little curved, long, their skin becoming prominently ridged as they mature. Each pod has between 2–10 brown seeds. The seeds are buoyant so they can be distributed by ocean currents. The plant seems to contain L-Betonicine. The Canavalia rosea plant fruits and blooms all year long.

Uses

Young seeds and pods are edible, especially after boiling. The flowers can be made into a spice.