DISTRIBUTION OF CANAVANINE IN THE FAMILY LEGUMINOSAE AS RELATED TO PHYLETIC GROUPINGS

Abstract

The seeds of 161 species of legumes, representing 78 genera, were examined by chromatographic methods for canavanine content. The results are supplemented by data, variously collected, by other authors, to yield a total of 219 investigated species representing 109 genera. Of these, 68 species belonging to 32 genera have canavanine in their seeds.Canavanine has not been found in the subfamilies Mimosoideae or Caesalpinioideae. In the subfamily Papilionoideae it has not been found in the tribes Podalyrieae and Sophoreae. At least one species from each of the other tribes produces canavanine. In three genera, some species produce canavanine while others do not.These data are presumed to be of taxonomic significance and have been interpreted as support for chromosomal information indicating that the tribes Mimosoideae and Caesalpinioideae diverged relatively early from the "stem" line which is now represented by the Papilionoideae.