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Abrus precatorius

L. (1767)

This name is accepted

Kingdom: Viridiplantae Phylum: Magnoliophyta Class/Clade: Eudicot-Rosids Order: Fabales Family: Fabaceae Genus: Abrus

bead vine, black-eyed Susan, pukiawe‘ula‘ula, pukiawelenalena, rosary pea

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Description

Key Characters:

Growth Form: Lianas or scandent shrubs.

Stems: Stems up to 9 m long.

Roots:

Leaves: Leaves compound (even-pinnate). Alternate. Leaflets oblong to oblong–obovate, 16–40, 6–27 mm long, 3–10 mm wide. Rachis ending as a short bristle. Lower surfaces usually sparsely brownish strigose. Leaflet margins entire. Petiolate. Stipules small.

Flowers: Flowers in pseudoracemes up to 10 cm long, in dense clusters on a short, distinctly thickened axis, bracts and bracteoles short. Flowers bisexual (perfect), papilionaceous, subsessile. Calyx subtruncate or with 5 short teeth, the upper 2 weakly connate. Corolla yellow, white, pink, or purple, 10–15 mm long, wings long–clawed. Stamens 9, connate into a tube split at apex and shortly adnate to petals at base, the upper stamen absent. Pollen tricolporate, circular, monad. Ovary superior, subsessile; ovules numerous; style short.

Fruit: Pods obliquely oblong; somewhat swollen; 2–5 cm long; 1–1.5 cm wide; with a short; incurved beak; elastically dehiscent; weakly septate between the seeds. Seeds (1–)5–7; glossy; usually scarlet with a shiny black area around the hilum; occasionally uniformly black or yellowish; ovoid to subglobose; 5–7 mm long; 4–5 mm in diameter.

Ploidy: 2n = 22

Habitat:

Elevation Range:

Historical Distribution

Images

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Uses and Culture

USES

  • Seeds used to make lei and jewelry in Hawaii

  • Yes

Natural History

Statewide Status

Naturalized

Island Status

Ni'ihau(Incl. Lehua) Naturalized
Kaua'i Naturalized
O'ahu Only found in cultivation
Molokai Naturalized
Maui Naturalized
Hawai'i Naturalized

Dispersal Agents


Pollinators

Notes

  • 300-1050 m
  • Description digitized by McKenna Bonn-Savage
  • Description digitized from the Manual of the Flowering Plants of Hawaii
  • Seeds are extremely toxic, consuming one causes internal lesions and one seed can kill. Open wounds exposed to seed toxins can lead to severe poisoning.
  • Seeds contain one of the most potent toxins, but the hard outer coat usually prevents serious poisoning.

Bibliography

Name Published In: Syst. Nat. ed. 12, 2: 472 (1767)

Other References

Wagner et al. 1990:638 (Ni, K, Mo, M, H); Staples & Herbst 2005:299 (KEY), 330 (DESCR); Fosberg 13542 BISH (Mo†, 1936)

Poisonous Plants of Paradise (Scott, Thomas) p.22-23

Poisonous Plants of Paradise (Scott, Thomas) p.21-23

Occurrences

SNo. Scientific Name Locality Habitat Basis of Record Description Recorded By Record Number Island Source Date
1 Abrus precatorius S half of island Preserved_Specimen Stokes, J.F.G. Niihau BISH 1912-01-01
2 Abrus precatorius Halawa Valley Preserved_Specimen Forbes, C.N. 502 Molokai BISH 1912-08-01
3 Abrus precatorius Nonopapa In scrub on dry limestone flat. Preserved_Specimen Seeds pale yellow. St.John, H. 22768 Niihau BISH 1947-08-13
4 Abrus precatorius Nonopapa In a dry thicket and climbing on bushes. Preserved_Specimen Seeds red with black spot. St.John, H. 22766 Niihau BISH 1947-08-13
5 Abrus precatorius Honolulu Preserved_Specimen Weber, P.W. Oahu BISH 1945-01-01
6 Abrus precatorius Mapulehu Valley, near mouth Dry hillside. Preserved_Specimen Vine smothering bushes; flowers pinkish. Fosberg, F.R. 13542 Molokai BISH 1936-12-31
7 Abrus precatorius Oneloa, Puna District In baralt crevices by shore. Preserved_Specimen St.John, H. 22290 Hawaii BISH 1946-12-22
8 Abrus precatorius Lihue District. Kipu-Kai coastal, in Valley to the NE of Waterhouse Cottage, old cattle area. Disturbed Erythrina Dry Coastal Forest W/ Erythrina, Syzygium cumini, Lantana camara, Leucaena leucocephala, Peperomia blanda, Pluchea carolinensis, Schinus, Alerurites moluccana, Psydrax odorata. Preserved_Specimen Seeds bright red with black spot, numerous on ground. Vine 8 ft. up Leucaena tree. Tangalin, N. 3467 Kauai BISH 2013-03-28
9 Abrus precatorius Hana Preserved_Specimen Forbes, C.N. 276 Maui BISH 1910-07-01
10 Abrus precatorius Limahuli, Haena lowland, java plum gulch, dappled sun, moist paddy soil Preserved_Specimen vine of 2-3 m; flower in bud stage, conical bunch; fruit 2 layer, 2-3 cm pod inverts to expose bright red with black tip seeds. Earle, E. 7 Kauai BISH 1972-05-20
11 Abrus precatorius Land of Moeauoa 2. Above Kailua-Kona Uncommon. Climbing in Leucaena & Prosopis in pasture of tall Panicum maximum with Leucaena & Prosopis. Preserved_Specimen Corolla pale yellow. Nagata, K.M. 4266 Hawaii BISH 1993-11-02
12 Abrus precatorius Puna District, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, near Wahaula Vine climbing on Schinus and Wikstroemia in lowland scrub. Preserved_Specimen Fruit dry and brown. Seeds red and black. Cuddihy, L.W. 2074 Hawaii BISH 1987-09-16
13 Abrus precatorius Waimea Arboretum Partially shaded. Preserved_Specimen Vine with slight twining habit. Lau, J. 2734 Oahu BISH 1986-08-11
14 Abrus precatorius Haena Beach Park Beneath java plum. Preserved_Specimen Corn, C. Kauai BISH 1978-06-16
15 Abrus precatorius East Maui, Hana Preserved_Specimen Forbes, C.N. 276 Maui BISH 1910-07-01
16 Abrus precatorius East Maui, Hana Preserved_Specimen Forbes, C.N. 276 Maui BISH 1910-07-01
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