Beach bean
Canavalia lineata

Family: Fabaceae

What it is like

A twining vine. It can be 5 m long. It keeps growing from year to year. The leaves are oval and 6-14 cm long by 4-10 cm wide. They are softly hairy. The base is wedge shaped and it is rounded at the tip. The flowers are on the axils of leaves. They are purplish red. The fruit is an oblong pod 6-10 cm long by 3 cm wide. The seeds are brown. There are 2 to 3 oval seeds.

There are about 50 Canavalia species.

Where it is found

It is a tropical plant. It grows on sandy beaches.

Countries/locations it is found in

Asia, Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, Indochina, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Laos, Malaysia, Maldives, Philippines, SE Asia, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam

How it is used for food

Edible parts

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Dau-co

Synonyms

Dolichos lineatus Thunb.; Dolichos lineatus Murray;