CAXAVALIA ENSIFORMIS (jACK BEAN) 7^ 



CANAVALIA ENSIFORMIS (JACK BEAN). 



The Jack Bean found in our gardens is a native of India, 

 and derives its name, Canavalia ensijormis, from the Tamil 

 name canavuli. 



Practically all the Canavalia are natives of India, and 

 the species under our present notice was discovered in the 

 East Indies in 1778. The date of its introduction to 

 Mauritius can hardly be determined, but all the evidence 

 points to its having been the work of the numerous Indian 

 emigrants. 



Bojer, in his " Hortus JMauritianus," speaks of Canavalia 

 ohiusifolia as being a native of Mauritius and the other 

 islands of Africa. 



C. gladiata has pinkish seeds, those of the Nossi-B6 

 variety being red. Both these are trailing varieties and 

 produce but little fruit, though preference should be given 

 to the species C. gladiata, whose wealth of foliage is mag- 

 nificent. In 1837, when Bojer wrote his book, four 

 varieties of Canavalia were known in Mauritius (C. obtusi- 

 folia, C. emarginata, C. gladiata, C. cnsiforniis). 



No importance seems to have been attached to these 

 plants until quite recently, when the Director of the Agri- 

 cultural Station undertook experiments to show the great 

 vakie of this plant, not only as a restorative crop, but 

 also as a table vegetable. His views have now become 

 widelv known and this plant is in remarkable favour; the 

 amount under cultivation is increasing every year, and the 

 false notions concerning it are in a fair way to disappear. 



INI. Boname has published an elaborate treatise on the 

 Jack Bean in his annual report for 1909. In my position 

 as collaborator with the Director of the Station, I have been 

 able to follow these experiments closely and to carry out 

 a number of analyses. As, in our joint survey of the whole 

 of the literature of the Leguminosa;, we have found nothing 

 whatever on this species, we think it advisable to give an 



