Calabar bean  From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to:
navigation, search Calabar bean Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae Division: Magnoliophyta Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Fabales Family: Fabaceae Subfamily: Faboideae Genus:
Physostigma Species: P. venenosum Binomial name Physostigma
venenosum  The Calabar bean is the seed of a leguminous plant,
Physostigma venenosum, a native of tropical Africa, poisonous to
humans. It derives the first part of its scientific name from a
curious beak-like appendage at the end of the stigma, in the
centre of the flower; this appendage, though solid, was supposed
to be hollow (hence the name from φῦσα, a bladder, and stigma).
The plant is a large, herbaceous, climbing perennial, with the
stem woody at the base, up to 2 inches (5 cm) in diameter; it
has a habit like the scarlet runner, and attains a height of
about 50 feet (15 m). The flowers, resting on axillary
peduncles, are large, about an inch long, grouped in pendulous,
fascicled racemes pale-pink or pur