crab's eye

Names and Synonyms

Common Names

• Jumbi Bead
• Jumbie Beads
• Jumby Beans
• Liquorice Plant
• Rosary Pea
• Indian-licorice
• Indian-liquorice
• coral-beadplant
• crab's-eye
• gidee-gidee
• jequirity
• jequirity-bean
• licorice-vine
• love-bean
• lucky-bean
• minnie-minnies
• prayer-beads
• precatory
• precatory-bean
• red-beadvine
• rosary-pea
• weatherplant
• weathervine
• Luckybean Creeper
• Luckybean Creeper / Rosary Pea
• crab's eye
• crab's eyes
• jumbie bead

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Regional and Traditional Names

Sources: Wikidata, Catalogue of Life

Taxonomical Classification

This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and is classified within the phylum Streptophyta and the class Equisetopsida. It is further categorized under the subclass Magnoliidae and the order Fabales. As a member of the Fabaceae family, it is specifically identified by the genus Abrus.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Distribution

This plant exhibits a diverse geographical distribution spanning multiple regions across the Atlantic and Africa. In the Macaronesia region, it can be found specifically in Cape Verde. Its presence extends significantly into West Tropical Africa, where it is documented in Benin and Burkina. Additionally, the species is located within the territories of Gambia and Guinea-Bissau. Together, these locations highlight the plant's ability to thrive in various tropical environments.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Ecology

The ecology of Abrus precatorius is characterized by its remarkable adaptability to diverse environmental conditions and varied landscapes. It thrives across a broad altitudinal gradient, ranging from sea level (0 m AMSL) up to elevations of 2500 m AMSL. This species demonstrates significant ecological plasticity, inhabiting a wide array of biomes and ecosystems, including Anthropic Areas, Caatinga (strictu sensu), and Cerrado (lato sensu). Furthermore, it is commonly found in Riparian or Gallery Forests, Semi-deciduous Seasonal Forests, Ombrophilous (Rainforest) Forests, and Restinga environments. This wide distribution allows the plant to colonize both disturbed human-impacted landscapes and more stable, natural forest structures.

Elevational range max:

2500 m AMSL

Elevational range min:

0 m AMSL

Habitat :

Área Antrópica, Caatinga (stricto sensu), Cerrado (lato sensu), Floresta Ciliar ou Galeria, Floresta Estacional Semidecidual, Floresta Ombrófila (= Floresta Pluvial), Restinga

Genetics

The genetics of Abrus precatorius are characterized by a specific chromosomal constitution, featuring a chromosome number of 22. This species functions at a diploid ploidy level, indicated by a ploidy value of 2, which defines its fundamental genomic structure and reproductive stability. These genetic parameters serve as a baseline for understanding its inheritance patterns and the complex biochemical pathways responsible for the synthesis of its various bioactive secondary metabolites.

Chromosome number :

22

Ploidy :

2

Life history

The life history of Abrus precatorius is characterized by its classification as a perennial plant, allowing it to persist through multiple growing seasons. As a phanerophyte, its reproductive shoots are elevated above the ground, typically manifesting as a climbing woody vine that utilizes other structures for support. The plant exhibits a deciduous nature, shedding its foliage periodically as part of its seasonal cycle. Its growth habit and survival strategies are fundamentally defined by its phanerophyte life form, which enables it to establish a robust presence within its ecological niche.

Deciduousness :

deciduous

Life form :

phanerophyte

Lifecycle :

perennial

Morphology

The morphology of Abrus precatorius is characterized by its growth as a woody, climbing liana that exhibits a scandent shoot orientation. Functioning as an obligatory climber and an independent organism rather than a parasite, the plant typically displays a growth form that ranges from a herbaceous structure to a shrub-like habit. It is a terrestrial species and is not classified as an epiphyte. In terms of stature, the plant exhibits significant variability in height, with a minimum recorded height of 0.5 m, a mean height of approximately 3.17 m, and a maximum height reaching up to 9 m.

Aquatic :

terrestrial

Climber :

liana

Climber :

obligatory

Epiphyte :

terrestrial

Growth form :

shrub

Growth form :

herb

Parasite :

independent

Plant height max:

9 m

Plant height mean:

3.16666666666667 m

Plant height min:

0.5 m

Shoot orientation :

scandent

Woodiness :

woody

Physiology

The physiology of Abrus precatorius is characterized by a C3 photosynthetic pathway, which dictates its carbon fixation processes and metabolic efficiency. The plant exhibits specific morphological dimensions in its foliage, with leaf lengths ranging from a minimum of 0.5 cm to a maximum of 2.7 cm, and leaf widths spanning from 0.3 cm to 1 cm. In terms of water storage strategies, the species does not exhibit succulence, maintaining a non-succulent leaf structure. Additionally, the plant functions as a nitrogen fixer, indicating the presence of symbiotic relationships that allow it to convert atmospheric nitrogen into a usable form, thereby enhancing its nutrient uptake and growth capabilities.

Leaf length max:

2.7 cm

Leaf length min:

0.5 cm

Leaf width max:

1 cm

Leaf width min:

0.3 cm

Nitrogen fixer :

yes

Photosynthetic pathway :

C3

Succulence :

no

Reproduction

The reproductive process of Abrus precatorius begins with the emergence of pink flowers, which are organized into inflorescences that reach a maximum length of 0.1 m. Following pollination, the plant develops fruit in the form of a pod, which typically measures between 2 cm and 5 cm in length and possesses a width ranging from 1 cm to 1.5 cm. These pods are dehiscent, meaning they split open to release their contents. Each fruit contains a variable number of seeds, generally ranging from 1 to 10 seeds per fruit. The seeds themselves are small and somewhat uniform, with a minimum length of 5 mm and a maximum of 7 mm, and a width spanning from 4 mm to 5 mm. In terms of mass, the seeds are quite lightweight, with a mean mass of approximately 0.081084943 g, though individual seeds can range from a minimum of 0.0449739 g to a maximum of 0.10817 g. The dispersal syndrome for this species is identified as hydrochorous, indicating that the seeds are primarily dispersed via water.

Dehiscence :

dehiscent

Dispersal syndrome :

hydrochorous

Flower colour :

pink

Fruit length max:

5 cm

Fruit length min:

2 cm

Fruit type :

pod

Fruit width max:

1.5 cm

Fruit width min:

1 cm

Inflorescence length max:

0.1 m

Seed length max:

7 mm

Seed length min:

5 mm

Seed mass max:

0.10817 g

Seed mass mean:

0.081084943 g

Seed mass min:

0.0449739 g

Seed width max:

5 mm

Seed width min:

4 mm

Seeds_per_fruit :

1-10

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Plant Parts

Abrus precatorius has 5 reported plant parts identified across 25 scientific publications and several other databases that are studied for medicinal purposes. The most consistently reported plant part include seed, leaf, root, stem, flower.

Seed

1. Asian Pacific journal of tropical medicine
2. Veterinary and human toxicology
3. Biochimica et biophysica acta
4. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)
5. The Journal of the Association of Physicians of India

Leaf

1. Asian Pacific journal of tropical medicine
2. Planta medica
3. Future science OA
4. International journal of medicinal chemistry
5. Natural product letters

Root

1. Journal of ethnopharmacology
2. Planta medica

Stem

1. Journal of ethnopharmacology
2. Journal of complementary & integrative medicine

Flower

1. Asian Pacific journal of tropical medicine

Chemicals

Abrus precatorius has 78 reported phytochemicals identified across 25 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include Flavonoids, Abruquinone A, Abruquinone B, Abrusogenin, Cirsimaritin.

Flavonoids

1. Future science OA
2. International journal of medicinal chemistry
3. Asian Pacific journal of tropical biomedicine

Abruquinone A

1. Dr. Duke
2. European journal of pharmacology

Abruquinone B

1. Dr. Duke
2. Experimental parasitology

Abrusogenin

1. Dr. Duke
2. Biomedical engineering and computational biology

Cirsimaritin

1. Biomedical engineering and computational biology
2. Planta medica

ETHYL ACETATE

1. Asian Pacific journal of tropical medicine
2. Scientific reports

Gallic acid

1. Dr. Duke
2. Journal of separation science

glycyrrhizin

1. Dr. Duke
2. Planta medica

linoleic acid

1. Dr. Duke
2. Scientific reports

polyphenols

1. Planta medica
2. International journal of medicinal chemistry

Activities

Abrus precatorius has 267 reported activities identified across 25 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Antioxidant, Anticancer, Antidiabetic, Antiallergic, Antiangiogenic.

Antioxidant

1. Dr. Duke
2. Journal of ethnopharmacology
3. Future science OA
4. BMC complementary and alternative medicine
5. Scientific reports

Anticancer

1. Dr. Duke
2. Acta pharmacologica Sinica
3. Scientific reports
4. Tropical life sciences research

Antidiabetic

1. Dr. Duke
2. Journal of ethnopharmacology
3. Planta medica

Antiallergic

1. Dr. Duke
2. Planta medica

Antiangiogenic

1. Dr. Duke
2. Scientific reports

Antifertility

1. Dr. Duke
2. Journal of ethnopharmacology

Antiproliferative

1. Scientific reports
2. BMC complementary and alternative medicine

Antitumor

1. Dr. Duke
2. Journal of ethnopharmacology

Chemopreventive

1. Dr. Duke
2. BMC complementary and alternative medicine

Cytotoxic

1. Dr. Duke
2. BMC complementary and alternative medicine

Medicinal Uses

Abrus precatorius has 35 reported medicinal uses identified across 25 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported uses include inflammation, malaria, Diabetes mellitus, Plasmodium falciparum, Schistosomiasis.

Most Reported Uses

Preparations