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Molokai jackbean

Canavalia molokaiensis

Also called Molokai Jack-bean, Molokaʻi Jack Bean, `awikiwiki

Molokai jackbean
Photo: Forest & Kim Starr, CC BY 3.0
Family
Fabaceae (Pea & bean family)
Grows as
Climber
Native range
Hawaiian Is. (E. Molokai)
Climate
wet tropical

About

Canavalia molokaiensis, commonly known as the Molokaʻi Jack-bean or puakauhi, is a rare species flowering plant in the legume family, Fabaceae, that is endemic to the island of Molokaʻi in Hawaii. This and other Hawaiian Canavalia are known there as ʻāwikiwiki.

The plant is a vine with red-purple pealike flowers. It inhabits exposed, steep cliffs in dry and mesic forests that are dominated by ʻōhiʻa lehua (Metrosideros polymorpha) and ʻaʻaliʻi (Dodonaea viscosa) at elevations of 850–930 m (2,790–3,050 ft). Associated plants include ʻāhinahina (Artemisia spp.), ʻakoko (Euphorbia spp.), pilo (Coprosma spp.), pūkiawe (Styphelia tameiameiae), and ʻākia (Wikstroemia spp.).

Other Canavalia plants

Maunaloa · Wonderbean · Sword jackbean · Puakauhi · Makaha Valley jackbean · Lavafield jackbean · Baybean · Jackbean

Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Canavalia molokaiensis by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts are shared under the same licence.

Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.

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