Canavalia cathartica
naturalizedFabaceae

Canavalia cathartica

Poisonous Sea Bean

Naturalized (non-native)non-native

Introduced and now reproducing on its own in the wild.

Canavalia cathartica, commonly known as maunaloa in the Hawaiian language, is a species of flowering plant in the legume family, Fabaceae. The Hawaiian name translates as long mountain. In English it may also be known as poisonous sea bean, ground jack bean, horse bean, silky sea bean or wild bean. It has a Paleotropical distribution, occurring throughout tropical regions in Asia, Africa, Australia, and many Pacific Islands, and extending just into subtropical areas. It is not...

Read more on Wikipedia →
summary via Wikipedia · CC BY-SA
Seasonality
29 flowering · 7 fruiting annotations · iNaturalist · fetched Jul 2026
JFMAMJJASONDpeak
flowering (peak May) fruiting (peak January)

This is an inference, not a schedule. The curve reflects when observers annotated flowering and fruiting — which tracks observer effort as well as plant behavior, and pools all elevations and islands into one signal. Hawaiʻi’s microclimates vary enormously; a species may fruit in January at sea level and June at elevation. Use this to know when to look, then look.

Gallery · 9 · iNaturalist
open-licensed photos · click any to view its source
Where documented · 95 ahupuaʻa
documented occurrences · iNaturalist + GBIF · iNaturalist 194 · GBIF 289 records
Punaluʻu · HawaiʻiiNat 31 · GBIF 25
Waikīkī · OʻahuiNat 10 · GBIF 28
Pāʻā · KauaʻiiNat 16 · GBIF 21
ʻAlaeiki · MauiiNat 9 · GBIF 18
Hanalei · KauaʻiiNat 12 · GBIF 15
Wailua · KauaʻiiNat 8 · GBIF 12
Kailua · OʻahuiNat 7 · GBIF 12
Waiākea · HawaiʻiiNat 7 · GBIF 12
Hāʻena · KauaʻiiNat 9 · GBIF 8
Māhāʻulepū · KauaʻiiNat 3 · GBIF 11
Nāwiliwili · KauaʻiiNat 6 · GBIF 5
Kīlauea · KauaʻiiNat 5 · GBIF 4
Kalihiwai · KauaʻiiNat 4 · GBIF 4
Kapaʻa · KauaʻiiNat 2 · GBIF 6
Waiheʻe · MauiiNat 3 · GBIF 4
Hanamāʻulu · KauaʻiiNat 5 · GBIF 1
Waimānalo · OʻahuiNat 1 · GBIF 5
Keʻanae · MauiiNat 3 · GBIF 3
ʻAlaenui · MauiiNat 1 · GBIF 4
Kāneʻohe · OʻahuiNat 2 · GBIF 3
Waimea · OʻahuiNat 3 · GBIF 2
Pololū · HawaiʻiiNat 2 · GBIF 3
Waipiʻo · HawaiʻiiNat 1 · GBIF 3
Hāmoa · MauiiNat 3 · GBIF 1
Kaʻawaloa · HawaiʻiiNat 1 · GBIF 2
Kōloa · KauaʻiiNat 1 · GBIF 2
Honolulu · OʻahuiNat 2 · GBIF 1
Honopou · MauiiNat 2 · GBIF 1
Paeahu · MauiiNat 2 · GBIF 1
Waiheʻe · OʻahuiNat 1 · GBIF 2
Mākaha · OʻahuiNat 1 · GBIF 1
Honokalani · MauiiNat 1 · GBIF 1
Haʻikū · KauaʻiiNat 1 · GBIF 1
Waipā · KauaʻiiNat 1 · GBIF 1
Wainiha · KauaʻiiNat 1 · GBIF 1
Hauʻula · OʻahuiNat 1 · GBIF 1
Waimea, Waikoloa · HawaiʻiiNat 1 · GBIF 1
Puʻuʻeo · HawaiʻiiNat 1 · GBIF 1
Heʻeia · OʻahuiNat 1 · GBIF 1
Keālia · KauaʻiiNat 1 · GBIF 1
Waikoko · KauaʻiiNat 1 · GBIF 1
Kawailoa · OʻahuiNat 1 · GBIF 1
Wailuku · MauiiNat 1 · GBIF 1
Kahana · OʻahuiNat 1 · GBIF 1
Kaueleau · HawaiʻiiNat 1 · GBIF 1
Nāmāhana · KauaʻiiNat 1 · GBIF 1
Waipiʻo · OʻahuiNat 1 · GBIF 1
Kalāheo · KauaʻiiNat 1 · GBIF 1