Cathie's Bean
Canavalia nitida
Markings and exact colorations may vary.
A glossy, solid-red bean with a long thin scar — like a bay bean dipped in red lacquer.
- Typical size
- 0.6–0.9 in
- How often it turns up
- Rare
- Collecting
- Usually legal to collect
- Handling
- May irritate skin
Drift seeds are generally fine to pick up on public beaches. Don't remove plants or seeds from parks, preserves or dunes.
Raw seeds are toxic if eaten. Don't taste them.
How to tell it apart
- Oblong bean shape like a bay bean
- Solid deep red to reddish-brown, glossy, not mottled
- Long, thin dark hilum along one edge
Found one?
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Commonly confused with
Bay BeanCanavalia rosea
Bay bean is mottled tan and brown; Cathie's bean is solid glossy red.
More sea beans in the field guide
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