Centrosema Explained

Centrosema, the butterfly peas,^[1] is a genus of (mainly tropical) American vines in the legume family (Fabaceae). It includes 44 species, which range through the tropical and warm-temperate Americas from the southern United States to northern Argentina. Species include:

• Centrosema acutifolium
• Centrosema angustifolium Benth.
• Centrosema arenarium Benth.
• Centrosema arenicola
• Centrosema bellum
• Centrosema bifidum
• Centrosema brachypodum
• Centrosema bracteosum
• Centrosema brasilianum (L.) Benth.
• Centrosema capitatum
• Centrosema carajasense
• Centrosema coriaceum
• Centrosema dasyanthum Benth.
• Centrosema fasciculatum
• Centrosema grandiflorum
• Centrosema grazielae
• Centrosema haitense
• Centrosema heptaphyllum
• Centrosema heteroneurum
• Centrosema jaraguaense
• Centrosema kermesi
• Centrosema latidens
• Centrosema lucia-helenae
• Centrosema macranthum Hoehne
• Centrosema macrocarpum
• Centrosema molle
• Centrosema pascuorum
• Centrosema platycarpum
• Centrosema plumieri (Turp. ex Pres.) Benth.
• Centrosema pubescens Benth.
• Centrosema rotundifolium
• Centrosema sagittatum (Humb. & Bonpl. ex Willd.) Brandegee
• Centrosema schottii
• Centrosema sericiflorum
• Centrosema tapirapoanense
• Centrosema teresae
• Centrosema tetragonolobum
• Centrosema triquetrum
• Centrosema unifoliatum
• Centrosema variifolium
• Centrosema venosum
• Centrosema vetulum
• Centrosema vexillatum Benth.
• Centrosema virginianum

Lepidopteran caterpillars that feed on butterfly peas include the two-barred flasher (Astraptes fulgerator), occasionally recorded on C. macrocarpum and C. plumieri at least.^[2]

Another plant referred to as butterfly pea from the same subtribe Clitoriinae is the related Clitoria ternatea. However it doesn't belong to the genus Centrosema.

In Jamaica, it is known as Fee Fee and is usually seen at Christmas time. The flower is able to make a whistling sound hence children usually find it useful as a toy.

See also

• Clitoria

References

• Brower, Andrew V.Z. (2006): Problems with DNA barcodes for species delimitation: ‘ten species’ of Astraptes fulgerator reassessed (Lepidoptera: Hesperiidae). Systematics and Biodiversity 4(2): 127–132. PDF fulltext
• Hébert, Paul D.N.; Penton, Erin H.; Burns, John M.; Janzen, Daniel H. & Hallwachs, Winnie (2004): Ten species in one: DNA barcoding reveals cryptic species in the semitropical skipper butterfly Astraptes fulgerator. PNAS 101(41): 14812–14817. PDF fulltext Supporting Appendices
• United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) (2007): USDA Plants Profile: Centrosema. Retrieved 2007-DEC-17.

Notes and References

1. USDA (2007)
2. Hébert et al. (2004), Brower et al. (2006)