Canavalia africana Dunn

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Riverine forest margins
Nsumbu National Park
Jun 2020
Photo: Nick Wightman

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Synonyms:	Canavalia ferruginea Piper Canavalia virosa (Roxb.) Wight & Arn.
Common names:
Frequency:
Status:	Native
Description:	Perennial climber, up to 15 m. Leaves 3-foliolate. Leaflets 6-17 cm, ovate, more or less velvety on both surfaces. Flowers in pendulous axillary racemes, mauve with white veins, often greenish towards the base. Pod linear-oblong, 10-17 cm with a ridge along the edge, hairy when young.
Type location:	Lectotype from Uganda
Notes:
Derivation of specific name:	africana: African
Habitat:	Along the margins of evergreen and riverine forest or miombo woodland, often in secondary or disturbed places.
Altitude range:	Up to 1500 m
Flowering time:	Dec - Aug
Worldwide distribution:	Widespread in tropical, northeastern and South Africa, Yemen, Socotra and India.
Zambian distribution (Flora Zambesiaca):	B,N,C,E,S
Zambian distribution (Provinces):	Nw,N,E,S
Growth form(s):	Climber, liane.
Endemic status:
Red data list status:
Insects associated with this species:	Euchrysops malathana (Food plant)
Spot characters:	Display spot characters for this species
Content last updated:	Friday 24 July 2020
Literature:	Chapano, C. & Mamuto, M. (2003). Plants of the Chimanimani District National Herbarium and Botanic Garden, Zimbabwe Page 11. Drummond, R.B. (1972). A list of Rhodesian Legumes. Kirkia 8(2) Page 217. as Canavalia virosa Drummond, R.B. (1975). A list of trees, shrubs and woody climbers indigenous or naturalised in Rhodesia. Kirkia 10(1) Page 247. As Canavalia virosa Mackinder, B. et al. (2001). Papilionoideae Flora Zambesiaca 3(5) Pages 37 - 39. Mapaura, A. & Timberlake, J. (eds) (2004). A checklist of Zimbabwean vascular plants Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 33 Sabonet, Pretoria and Harare Page 46. Strugnell, A.M. (2006). A Checklist of the Spermatophytes of Mount Mulanje, Malawi Scripta Botanica Belgica 34 National Botanic Garden of Belgium Page 96. Wursten, B., Timberlake, J. & Darbyshire, I. (2017). The Chimanimani Mountains: an updated checklist. Kirkia 19(1) Page 94.

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Flora of Burundi: Canavalia africana
Flora of Malawi: Canavalia africana
Flora of Mozambique: Canavalia africana
Flora of Zimbabwe: Canavalia africana

External websites:

African Plants: A Photo Guide (Senckenberg): Canavalia africana
African Plant Database: Canavalia africana
BHL (Biodiversity Heritage Library): Canavalia africana
EOL (Encyclopedia of Life): Canavalia africana
GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility): Canavalia africana
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iNaturalist: Canavalia africana
IPNI (International Plant Names Index): Canavalia africana
JSTOR Plant Science: Canavalia africana
Mansfeld World Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops: Canavalia africana
Plants of the World Online: Canavalia africana
Tropicos: Canavalia africana
Wikipedia: Canavalia africana