Canavalia africana Dunn

Selected images: Click on each image to see a larger version and details of the record View all images (18)

Photo: Bart Wursten
Lower slopes between Morumbodzi Falls and forest Mt Gorongosa.

Photo: Bart Wursten
Path to Hadange Gorge, Chimanimani National Park

Photo: David Gwynne-Evans
Lower slopes Mt Mabu

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

Habit
Riverine woodland
Chikankata District
May 2025
Photo: Nick Wightman

Leaf
Riverine woodland
Chikankata District
May 2025
Photo: Nick Wightman

Flower
Riverine woodland
Chikankata District
May 2025
Photo: Nick Wightman

Pod
Riverine woodland
Chikankata District
May 2025
Photo: Nick Wightman

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Species details: Click on each item to see an explanation of that item (Note: opens a new window)

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: (metres)
Flowering time:	Dec - Aug
Worldwide distribution:	Widespread in tropical, northeastern and South Africa, Yemen, Socotra and India.
Botanical divisions:
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
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. Ntore, S. & al. (2024). Checklist of the vascular plants of Burundi Page 115. Strugnell, A.M. (2006). A Checklist of the Spermatophytes of Mount Mulanje, Malawi Scripta Botanica Belgica 34 National Botanic Garden of Belgium Page 96. Troupin, G. (1983). Fabaceae (Papilionaceae) Flore du Rwanda Spermatophytes Volume II Pages 86 - 88. as Canavalia virosa (Includes a picture). Wursten, B., Timberlake, J. & Darbyshire, I. (2017). The Chimanimani Mountains: an updated checklist. Kirkia 19(1) Page 94.

Other sources of information about Canavalia africana:

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Flora of Burundi: Canavalia africana
Flora of Malawi: Canavalia africana
Flora of Mozambique: Canavalia africana
Flora of Rwanda: Canavalia africana
Flora of Zambia: 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
Google: Web - Images - Scholar
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