Canavalia ensiformis
(jack bean)

Preferred Common Name

• jack bean

Other Scientific Names

• Canavalia ensiformis var. alba Makino
• Canavalia ensiformis var. albida DC
• Canavalia ensiformis var. gladiata (Jacq.) Kuntze
• Canavalia ensiformis var. mollis (Wight & Arn.) Baker
• Canavalia ensiformis var. mucunoides Baill.
• Canavalia ensiformis var. truncata Ricker
• Canavalia ensiformis var. turgida Baker
• Canavalia ensiformis var. versicolor Kuntze
• Canavalia ensiformis var. virosa (Roxb.) Baker
• Dolichos ensiformis L.

International Common Names

• English: giant stock-bean; gotani bean; horse-bean; jackbean; seaside-bean; swordbean; wonder bean
• Spanish: frijol espada; haba de burro; judía sable
• French: feve jacques; haricot de Madagascar; haricot sabre; pois gogane

Local Common Names

• Brazil: fava-branca; feijao-bravo; feijao-de-cobra; feijão-de-porco; mangolo
• Cuba: bejuco de bibijaguas; canavalia; frijol de bibijagua; frijol de china; haba de caballo; soplillo
• Germany: Jackbohne; Schwertbohne
• Haiti: garde place; pois maldioc
• Italy: canavalia
• Jamaica: horse bean; overlook bean
• Puerto Rico: canavalia; haba de burro; habichuela playera; mato de playa
• Sweden: jackbona
• West Indies Associated States: one-eye bean

EPPO code

• CNAEN (Canavalia ensiformis)

• Domain: Eukaryota
•     Kingdom: Plantae
•         Phylum: Spermatophyta
•             Subphylum: Angiospermae
•                 Class: Dicotyledonae
•                     Order: Fabales
•                         Family: Fabaceae
•                             Subfamily: Papilionoideae
•                                 Genus: Canavalia
•                                     Species: Canavalia ensiformis

Canavalia is a pantropical genus in the Fabaceae, containing approximately 50 species of vines (World Flora Online, 2020). The genus is believed to have originated in the New World based on the high diversity in the fossil record in this region (Saur and Kaplan, 1969).

The following description is adapted from Acevedo-Rodríguez (2005):

Slightly woody vine, twining, attaining 1-2 m in length. Stems cylindrical, puberulent, glabrescent, with the pith hollow. Leaves alternate, trifoliolate; leaflets chartaceous, broadly ovate or broadly elliptical, 6-20 × 5-12 cm, the apex obtuse or rounded, short-apiculate, the base obtuse, asymmetrical on the lateral leaflets, the margins entire; both surfaces strigulose, punctate; petiole and rachis cylindrical, glabrescent; petiolules swollen, ca. 8 mm long. Inflorescences of axillary pseudoracemes, 25-36 cm long, with 2-3 flowers grouped on the nodal swellings along the rachis; pedicels 1-2 mm long, glabrescent. Calyx green, campanulate, 12-14 mm long, bilabiate; corolla pale violet, ca. 2 cm, the standard and the wings white at the base, violet on the distal portion. Legume linear, up to 30 × 3.5 cm, woody, slightly curved toward the apex, each valve with three longitudinal ribs. Seeds 15-20, ellipsoid, up to 3 cm long, white or cream-coloured.

Soil reaction

• acid
• alkaline
• neutral

Soil texture

• heavy
• light
• medium

• Proved invasive outside its native range
• Has a broad native range
• Highly adaptable to different environments
• Tolerant of shade
• Fast growing
• Has high genetic variability

Economic Value

Concanavalin A, a lectin in C. ensiformis, has been used by biochemists to isolate blood group substances (immunoglobulin and glycoprotein), thus becoming an important tool in medical analysis.

Detoxified C. ensiformis seed has been used successfully as a high protein fish meal substitute in tilapia aquaculture (Martinez-Palacios et al., 1988).

Social Benefit

The beans and pods of C. ensiformis are edible, the young pods being cooked as a vegetable (Brücher, 1989) and the whole plant, the pods and seeds are also used to feed animals (Heuzé and Tran, 2015). The beans are mildly toxic, however boiling will remove toxicity if done properly (Sturtevant and Hedrick, 1919). Historically, it was used by native tribes for food and forage in droughty regions of Arizona and Mexico (Sheahan 2012). Now, while commonly consumed in Asia and Japan, C. ensiformis seem to be unpopular elsewhere (National Academy of Sciences, 1979). C. ensiformis, is one of a number of tropical legumes investigated for their potential as an alternative food source to help solve problems of food insecurity and global hunger, as it is extremely hardy (Vargas et al., 1991). C. ensiformis seed has been promoted in developing nations as a potential source of affordable and abundant protein. It has 29.0% protein content (Adebowale and Lawal, 2004).

In Nigeria, C. ensiformis seed is used as an antibiotic and antiseptic (Olowokudejo et al., 2008).

There is also pharmaceutical interest in the use of C. ensiformis as a source for the anti-cancer agent trigonelline and canavanine (Morris, 1999).

Leaves are spread on leafcutter anthills to eliminate ants (Bunch, 1985).

Environmental Services

Canavalia ensiformis is used as a soil improver and is planted for erosion control (Smartt, 1985; Heuzé and Tran, 2015; Madalão et al., 2017). It is used in conservation agriculture with maize and cassava and in Mauritius, it is used as a green manure in sugar cane (Heuzé and Tran, 2015). It has been reported as being antagonistic or suppressive of nematodes, particularly when used for intercropping in banana plantations (Vargas-Ayala et al., 2000), but this effect is disputed (Ternisien et al., 1989; Kashaija et al., 2004).