Canavalia Species, Mauna Loa, Purge Vine, Wild Bean

I have not grown this plant. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, it is found in the following areas:

...Read More "AFRICA
East Tropical Africa: Kenya [s.e.]; Tanzania [e.]
Western Indian Ocean: Seychelles
ASIA-TEMPERATE
Eastern Asia: Japan - Ryukyu Islands; Taiwan
ASIA-TROPICAL
Indian Subcontinent: Bangladesh; India [coastal]; Sri Lanka
Indo-China: Cambodia [s.]; Myanmar; Thailand; Vietnam
Malesia: Indonesia; Malaysia; Papua New Guinea; Philippines
AUSTRALASIA
Australia: Australia - Queensland [extreme n.]
PACIFIC
North-Central Pacific: United States - Hawaii (naturalized)
Northwestern Pacific: Guam; Marshall Islands; Micronesia; Palau
South-Central Pacific: Cook Islands; French Polynesia - Society Islands
Southwestern Pacific: Fiji; New Caledonia; Samoa; Solomon Islands; Tonga; Vanuatu"

Children make little boats out of the seeds by inserting a stick between the lobes which led to the common name potipoti which means "boat-like". The seeds are used in Hawaiian seed lei making. Young fruit (seeds) are cooked as a vegetable. Mature ones are poisonous; however, they may be bolied with several changes of the water and then eaten.