bitter bean

Names and Synonyms

Common Names

• Stink bean
• parkia

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Synonyms

• Parkia macrocarpa
• Parkia harbesonii
• Parkia calcarata
• Inga pyriformis

Regional and Traditional Names

Sources: Wikidata, Catalogue of Life

Taxonomical Classification

This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and is classified under the phylum Streptophyta and class Equisetopsida. Within the subclass Magnoliidae, it is placed in the order Fabales and the family Fabaceae. Its specific taxonomic identity is defined by the genus Parkia.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Distribution

This plant exhibits a wide geographical distribution across several key regions in Southeast Asia. Within the Indo-China region, its presence is specifically noted in Thailand. Moving into the Malesia zone, it can be found throughout the island of Borneo. Its habitat also extends to Jawa and the Malay Peninsula. Finally, the species is distributed across the Philippine archipelago.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Life history

The life history of Parkia speciosa is characterized by its status as a perennial species, allowing it to persist in its environment over many years and establish a long-term presence within its ecosystem. As an evergreen plant, it maintains its foliage throughout the year, ensuring continuous photosynthetic activity and a stable canopy structure regardless of the season. This combination of a long-lived lifecycle and constant greenery enables the plant to maintain robust physiological functions and support its reproductive cycles over an extended period.

Deciduousness :

evergreen

Lifecycle :

perennial

Morphology

The morphology of Parkia speciosa is characterized by a robust growth form, primarily functioning as a large, woody tree. It is a self-supporting species rather than a climber or liana, and it maintains a terrestrial life habit rather than being epiphytic. In terms of stature, the plant reaches significant dimensions, with a mean height of approximately 25 m and a maximum potential height of up to 35 m.

Climber :

self-supporting

Epiphyte :

terrestrial

Growth form :

tree

Plant height max:

35 m

Plant height mean:

25 m

Woodiness :

woody

Physiology

The physiology of Parkia speciosa is characterized by a C3 photosynthetic pathway, which dictates its carbon fixation processes and metabolic efficiency in tropical environments. As a member of the Fabaceae family, the plant exhibits a symbiotic relationship with diazotrophic bacteria, functioning as a nitrogen fixer to enhance soil fertility and support its own nutritional requirements. This nitrogen fixation process allows the plant to convert atmospheric nitrogen into bioavailable forms, facilitating robust growth and supporting its complex physiological functions.

Nitrogen fixer :

yes

Photosynthetic pathway :

C3

Reproduction

The reproduction of Parkia speciosa is driven by a biotic pollination syndrome, specifically relying on bats as a primary pollinator to facilitate the transfer of pollen. This specialized interaction within its pollination strategy ensures the successful fertilization required for seed production. The resulting seeds are characterized by a highly consistent physical profile, with a recorded seed mass that remains uniform across observations. Specifically, the seed mass exhibits no variance, maintaining a constant value with a minimum, maximum, and mean mass of exactly 0.54 g.

Pollination syndrome :

bat

Pollination syndrome :

biotic

Seed mass mean:

0.54 g

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Plant Parts

Parkia speciosa has 2 reported plant parts identified across 4 scientific publications and several other databases that are studied for medicinal purposes. The most consistently reported plant part include seed, root.

Seed

1. Antioxidants (Basel, Switzerland)
2. Planta medica
3. Natural product letters

Root

1. Antioxidants (Basel, Switzerland)

Chemicals

Parkia speciosa has 10 reported phytochemicals identified across 4 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include 1,2,4-TRITHIOLANE, Hydrogen sulphide, Lectin, RUTIN, SE.

1,2,4-TRITHIOLANE

1. Natural product letters

Hydrogen sulphide

1. Natural product letters

Lectin

1. Planta medica

RUTIN

1. Frontiers in pharmacology

SE

1. Journal of trace elements in medicine and biology : organ of the Society for Minerals and Trace Elements (GMS)

STIGMASTEROL

1. Antioxidants (Basel, Switzerland)

acetaldehyde

1. Natural product letters

ethanol

1. Natural product letters

polyphenols

1. Antioxidants (Basel, Switzerland)

quercetin

1. Frontiers in pharmacology

Activities

Parkia speciosa has 3 reported activities identified across 4 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Antihypertensive, Antioxidant, Hypoglycemic.

Antihypertensive

1. Antioxidants (Basel, Switzerland)

Antioxidant

1. Antioxidants (Basel, Switzerland)

Hypoglycemic

1. Antioxidants (Basel, Switzerland)

Medicinal Uses

Parkia speciosa has 6 reported medicinal uses identified across 4 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported uses include hypertension, conjunctivitis, cough, diarrhea, measles.

Most Reported Uses

Preparations