Castanospermum

Moreton Bay chestnut
Street tree in Pretoria
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Fabales
Family: Fabaceae
Subfamily: Faboideae
Tribe: Angylocalyceae
Genus: Castanospermum
A.Cunn ex Mudie (1829)
Species:
C. australe
Binomial name
Castanospermum australe
A.Cunn ex Mudie (1829)
Synonyms

Genus:

Species:

  • Castanocarpus australis (A.Cunn. ex Mudie) Sweet (1830)
  • Castanospermum australe var. brevivexillum F.M.Bailey (1897)
  • Castanospermum brevivexillum (F.M.Bailey) Domin (1912)
  • Castanospermum cunninghamii J.M.Wood (1903)
  • Vieillardia grandiflora Montrouz. (1860)

Castanospermum is a monotypic genus (i.e. a genus that contains only one species) in the legume family Fabaceae. The sole species is Castanospermum australe, commonly known as Moreton Bay chestnut or black bean. It is native to rainforests on the east coast of Australia (Queensland and northeastern New South Wales), and to nearby islands of the southwest Pacific Ocean. It was first described in 1829, and has been cultivated around the world.