PIPER—-CANAVALIA AND WENDEROTHIA 557 
white seeds contain more urease than any other known, and are 
employed as a commercial source of this substance. The jack bean 
has been more or less employed as feed for domestic animals, but 
both the herbage and the seeds are eaten with reluctance by most 
animals. Canavalia maritima is cosmopolitan in the tropics on sea- 
shores, where it serves as a sand binder. There is difference of 
opinion as to the edibility of, the seeds. Ridley (Trans. Linn. Soc. 
Bot. 3: 293. 1888-9) says the seeds are eatable but rather mealy, 
but later (Journ. Straits Branch Roy. As: Soc. 71. 1900) writes 
“beans said to be poisonous.” ‘Trimen (Fl. Ceylon 2: 67. 1894) 
says “seeds are much eaten, boiled, at Batticaloa and elsewhere.” 
As several closely related species of southern Asia have been con- 
fused with C. maritima, there is doubt as to the identity of the 
species referred to in the above notes. Banks and Solander (Bot. 
Cook’s Voy. 1: 24) say it was eaten by members of the expedition 
but was very bad. This plant may have been C. baueriana, a 
very similar species. Of this last Maiden (Proc. Linn. Soc. N. 8S. 
W. 28: 702. 1903) narrates how sailors on Norfolk Island were 
made very ill by eating this bean; further (Agr. Gazette N. S. W. 
10: 281. 1899) that “the seeds are eaten by the blacks after cook- 
ing, as they are poisonous in the raw state.” It is not unlikely that 
the deleterious principles may be removed by boiling in several 
changes of water. 
The seeds of Canavalia virosa, an Indian species, are generally 
reputed to be poisonous. Birdwood (Veg. Prod. Bombay ed. 2. 118. 
1865) writes, “The pods are dried like French beans, boiled, and 
eaten, when intoxication follows.” 
Canavalia campylocarpa, the Babricou bean, is utilized as a green 
manure crop in Barbados. 
POLLINATION. 
No very special studies have been made in the pollination of 
Canavalia. In experiments at Biloxi, Mississippi, it was found that 
bagged flowers set pods and seeds in C. ensiformis. Apparently 
insect visits are not necessary. Under greenhouse conditions numer- 
ous species set pods readily, and presumably the flowers are not 
visited by insects, at least large ones like honeybees or bumblebees. 
The flowers are greatly inclined to drop if handled. This makes 
artificial crossings almost impossible. So far as known, none such 
have yet been made nor are any natural hybrids definitely known. 
At the Hawaiian Sugar Planters’ Experiment Station, Honolulu, 
Dr. H. L. Lyon has obtained numerous seed variants of C. ensiformis. 
These are speckled, banded, or marbled in various patterns and 
colors. It is still uncertain whether these variations are the result 
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