Japanese name: ハマナタマメ Scientific name:Canavalia lineata
[Overview]
A climbing perennial found on sandy seashores, growing over 5 m long.
The stems have sparse backward-pointing hairs, and the base becomes woody.
The leaves are alternate and trifoliate.
The leaflets are broadly obovate to round, 5–12 cm long and 4–10 cm wide, with entire margins.
The leaves are thick, hairless, and glossy on the upper surface.
Racemes emerge from the leaf axils; the nodes bearing the flower stalks are thickened, and each node carries 2–3 flowers.
The flowers are pale pink papilionaceous flowers.
The fruit is a legume 5–10 cm long and 3–3.5 cm wide, containing 2–5 seeds.
The seeds are elliptic, 1.5 cm long, with a long hilum.
The seeds are carried by ocean currents.
