Jack bean
Canavalia ensiformis

Family: Fabaceae

What it is like

A perennial climber, although short kinds do occur. Often it is a more bushy plant than the sword bean. Plants up to 1.5 m long. Stems can be hairy. Leaves have 3 leaflets. The leaflets are oval and 5.7-20 cm long by 3.2-11.5 cm wide. The leaf tends to be wedge shaped at the base. The leaf stalks are 2.5-11 cm long. Flowers are red/purple. They occur on flower clusters 5-12 cm long and with flower cluster stalks which are 10-34 cm long. The individual flower stalks are 2-5 mm long. Pods are long and sword shaped. Pods can be 15-35 cm long. Seeds are white with a light brown hilum half as long as the seed. Seeds are 2 cm long, by 1 cm across.

There are about 50 Canavalia species. Chemical composition (acid content) (Nigerian sample): oil = 1%; component esters (wt. %): 16:0 = 17%. 16:1 = 2%. 18:0 = 2%. 18:1 = 49%, 18:2 = 18%. 18:3 = 7%. 20:0 = 1%. 22:0 = 1%. 24:0 = 2%. Reported to have a high Threonine value.

Where it is found

It grows in tropical and subtropical places. It requires a fairly high temperature (15°-30°C). It will possibly grow up to 1,600 m altitude. It is fairly drought resistant and also has some resistance to water-logging and salt in the soil. It can tolerate shade. It can tolerate pH from 4.5 - 8.0 but does best at about 6.1. The optimum mean annual temperature is 14.4°-27.8°C. Seed germinate between 24-27.5°C. It is a short day plant growing well with a daylength of 10-12 hours of sunlight. It can grow in arid places. In Argentina it grows below 500 m above sea level. In XTBG Yunnan.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Angola, Argentina, Asia, Australia, Bangladesh, Belize, Benin, Bolivia, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Caribbean, Central Africa, Central America, Chad, China, Colombia, Congo DR, Costa Rica, Côte d'Ivoire, Cuba, Dominican Republic, East Africa, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Fiji, French Guiana, Gabon, Ghana, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Guatemala, Guianas, Guinea, Guinée, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Hawaii, Himalayas, Honduras, India, Indochina, Indonesia, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Japan, Kenya, Kiribati, Korea, Laos, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Marianas, Martinique, Mauritius, Mexico, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nauru, New Caledonia, Niger, Nigeria, North Africa, North America, Northeastern India, Pacific, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Puerto Rico, Reunion, Sahel, Sao Tome and Principe, SE Asia, Seychelles, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Southern Africa, South America, Sudan, Suriname, Taiwan, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Tonga, Trinidad & Tobago, Uruguay, USA, Venezuela, Vietnam, West Africa, West Indies, Zambia, Zimbabwe

How it is used for food

The leaves and top shoots are eaten. The very young pods are boiled and eaten. The flowers can be eaten. The young seeds are eaten boiled, roasted, or peeled and cooked. The seeds are also fermented. The ripe seeds are roasted and used as a coffee substitute. CAUTION The ripe seeds can contain poison and need to be well cooked and the water changed before eating. They are also often left under running water or fermented.

It is a commercially cultivated vegetable. It is being accepted and grown in some coastal and mid altitude areas in Papua New Guinea. Pods are sold in local markets.

Edible parts

Seeds, leaves, young pods, spice, flowers, vegetable

How it is grown

It is grown from seeds. Seeds need to be 2 cm deep. A spacing of about 60 cm is suitable. Plants preferably need a support to climb over. It benefits from a fertile soil but adding nitrogen depresses yield.

Green pods are produced in 3-4 months, but ripe seeds need 6-9 months. Yield of seeds can range from 700 to 5,400 kg / ha.

Its other names

Local names

Banchaki, Bara sem, Baran chaki, Bo ba ji noe, Broad Bean, Chickasaw Lima, Cocorico, Cut-Eye, Dau-rua, Dau-tac, Dolique, Fannto, Feijao, Frejol gigante, Frejol machete, Frijol blanco, Frijol cacao, Garde Place, Giant stock-bean, Gotani bean, Gros Pois, Haba de caballo, Habilla, Horse Bean, Jamaican horse bean, Jangala, Kaat thumbuten kai, Kachang parang puteh, Kalongonda, Kangianeteupi, Ladiko, Makhan shim, Mavi, Nkasa zi madeso, One-Eye Bean, Overlook, Pandhri abai, Papanla, Popondo, Prapiey sbaek, Sabre bean, Samkhra, Seaside bean, Sufed kadsumbal, Sword bean, Tamma, Vella tamma, Vellai tambattai, Voavahibe

Synonyms

Canavalia ensiformis (L.) DC. var. albida DC.; Canavalia ensiformis (L.) DC. var truncata Ricker; Canavalia gladiata (Jacq.) DC. var. leucosperma Voigt; Dolichos acinaciformis Jacq.; Dolichos ensiformis L.; Dolichos pugioniformis Rausch.; Canavalia gladiata (Jacq.) DC var. ensiformis (L.) Benth.; Malocchia ensiformis (L.) Savi;