15- PHASEOLUS INAMCENUS (POIS DU CAP) 



PHASEOLUS INAMCENUS (POIS DU CAP). 



The origin of the Pois du Cap {Phaseolus inamoenus) is 

 uncertain, though Bojer thinks it is a native of the Cape 

 of Good Hope. 



Cossigny believes that they have spread from Cap 

 Fran^ais. Tliey cannot have come from the Cape of Good 

 Hope, as tlie Dutch took Reunion and Mauritius before 

 1802. There is more ground for beheving that these peas 

 are really natives of Madagascar, where large quantities are 

 harvested at Cape Tulear. 



It seemed to be thought that old plants produced bitter 

 fruit, and Cossigny adds that all the Leguminos^ are 

 dangerous as soon as they are bitter. Besides, the fact that 

 cases of poisoning were recorded at this period seems to 

 point to poisonous properties being attributed to certain 

 Leguminosas. The Pois du Cap (a large bean in Mauritius) 

 is the fruit of a perennial leguminous plant thriving in prac- 

 tically all soils, but unable to adapt itself to all climates. 

 The vigorous stems reach a height of 4 metres and bear a 

 large amount of foliage ; the pods are from o*o8 to o" 10 metres 

 long and 0*024 to o"o26 metres broad, flat, and curved like a 

 sickle. 



The seeds are from o"02o to 0*023 rnetres long, o'oi3 to 

 o"oi4 metres wide, and 0*007 metres thick. 



This variety is particularly recognizable by the curious 

 speckling of its seed, which shows a large red stain extend- 

 ing from around the umbilicus over the smaller portion of 

 the pea, whilst the other portion is dotted with the same 

 colour on a white background. 



It must not be thought, however, that this is the sole 

 variety. We have seen some in Bourbon and the Comoro 

 Islands which were of a totally different appearance. Some 

 were completely white with a reddish-brown spot at the 



