THE AMERICAN SPECIES OF CANAVALIA AND. 
WENDEROTHIA. 
By C. V. PIPER. 
— 
INTRODUCTION. 
In connection with economic investigations of certain species of 
Canavalia, the writer became impressed with the paucity of our 
botanical knowledge of the genus and the great confusion existing. 
As a result of these conditions, it seemed desirable to attempt to 
monograph the genus. In this effort he received the cordial aid of 
Col. Sir David Prain, until recently Director of the Royal Botanic 
Gardens at Kew, who requested Mr. S. T. Dunn to assist in the work. 
The Old World species, all of which belong to the section H'ucana- 
valia, have been treated fully in a recently published paper (Kew 
Bull. Misc. Inf. 1922: 129-145. 1922). The task of elucidating the 
New World species was left to the writer. In connection with this 
work he desires to express his cordial thanks for the loan of herba- 
rium material to the following gentlemen: Col. Sir David Prain, 
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew; Dr. Hermann Ross, Staatsherbarium, 
Munich; Dr. B. L. Robinson, Gray Herbarium; Dr. J. M. Greenman, 
Missouri Botanical Garden; Dr. N. L. Britton, New York Botanical 
Garden; Dr. W. A. Setchell, University of California; Dr. C. F. 
Millspaugh, Field Museum of Natural History. 
HISTORY OF THE GENERIC NAMES PROPOSED. 
Some writers use Canavali as the generic name, but Canavalia is 
preferred by most. The latter has been included in the list of 
nomina conservanda of the International Code of Nomenclature. 
The data regarding the important proposals of the genus and its 
synonyms are given chronologically. 
Canavali Adans. Fam. Pl. 2: 325, 531. 1763. 
Adanson gives a brief description of the genus Canavali based on 
Hort. Mal. plates 43, 44, and 45, but an index, page 531, has “ Katu 
tsjandi, Malab.” and also “ Dolichos, 3. Lin. sp. 725.” Plate 48 of 
the Hortus Malabaricus is labeled Katu tjandi and also Canavali. 
It clearly represents Canavalia turgida Graham, but Dolichos 3 of 
Linnaeus is D. ensiformis, that is, Canavalia ensiformis. 
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