Mucuna gigantea

Seabean vines grow at lower elevations, usually near the coast. The seeds can be carried great distances by the ocean currents and still remain viable.The flowers are in pendent, round-topped, umbel-like clusters. The individual flowers are pea-like with a bent, upcurved keel. The flowers are followed by oblong, flattened, winged, green drying to dark brown bean pods lightly covered in stinging, orange-brown hairs known as trichomes. The seeds resemble hamburgers due to their disk shape and indented, black hilum (seed scar) and are almost 1 inch wide and brown, mottled brown and black, or solid black in color. The leaves are trifoliolate with 3 green, hairless or mostly hairless, broadly elliptic to egg-shaped leaflets. The stems are slender and twining. The vines typically hang down from the trees in green, leafy curtains.

The hard, woody seeds are polished and made into attractive necklaces and leis.

The seeds are poisonous and contain L-DOPA and other potentially toxic substances.

Similar plants:

• Mucuna benettii, Mucuna bennettii, Mucuna warburgii, Mucuna albertisii, Mucuna novoguineensis (Red Jade Vine, New Guinea Creeper)
• Mucuna nigricans (Black Jade Vine)
• Mucuna pruriens, Carpopogon pruriens, Dolichos pruriens, Mucuna aterrima (Nescafe, Cowitch, Velvet Bean, Purple Jade Vine)
• Mucuna sempervirens ()
• Mucuna sloanei (Yellow Jade Vine, Horse Eye, Brown Hamburger Bean, Ojo de Buey, True Sea-Bean)
• Mucuna urens (Red Hamburger Bean, Oxeye Bean)