Abrus

For the insect genus, see Abrus (leafhopper).

Abrus
Abrus precatorius
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Rosids
Order:	Fabales
Family:	Fabaceae
Subfamily:	Faboideae
Clade:	Meso-Papilionoideae
Clade:	Non-protein amino acid-accumulating clade
Clade:	Millettioids
Tribe:	Abreae Hutch.
Genus:	Abrus Adans. (1763)[1]
Species
17; see text
Synonyms[2]
Hoepfneria Vatke (1879) Hulthemia Blume ex Miq. (1855), nom. inval. Zaga Raf. (1837)

Abrus is a genus of flowering plants in the pea family, Fabaceae, and the only genus in the tribe Abreae. It contains 13–18 species, but is best known for a single species: jequirity (A. precatorius). The highly toxic seeds of that species are used to make jewellery.[3][4][5]

Species range naturally across tropical Africa, Madagascar, the Arabian Peninsula, south and southeast Asia, southern China, New Guinea, and Australia. Some species have been introduced to the tropical Americas.[2]

Species

• Abrus aureus R.Vig. (Madagascar)
• Abrus baladensis Thulin [es] (Somalia)
• Abrus bottae Deflers [fr] (Saudi Arabia, Yemen)
• Abrus canescens Welw. ex Baker (Africa)
• Abrus cantoniensis Hance (China)
• Abrus diversifoliatus Breteler [es] (Madagascar)
• Abrus fruticulosus Wall. ex Wight & Arn. (India)
• Abrus gawenensis Thulin (Somalia)
• Abrus kaokoensis Swanepoel & Kolberg (Namibia)[6]
• Abrus laevigatus E.Mey. (Southern Africa)
• Abrus longibracteatus Labat (Laos, Vietnam)
• Abrus madagascariensis R.Vig. (Madagascar)
• Abrus melanospermus Hassk. (Tropical & Subtropical Asia to SW. Pacific)
• Abrus parvifolius (R.Vig.) Verdc. (Madagascar)
• Abrus precatorius L. - Jequirity (Africa, Australia, Southeast Asia)
• Abrus pulchellus Wall. ex Voigt (Africa)
• Abrus sambiranensis R.Vig. (Madagascar)
• Abrus schimperi Hochst. ex Baker (Africa)
• Abrus somalensis Taub. (Somalia)
• Abrus wittei Baker f. (Zaire)

Abrus pulchellus

References

1. "genus Abrus". Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN) online database. Retrieved 1 May 2020.
2. Abrus Adans. Plants of the World Online. Retrieved 8 August 2023.
3. Hartley, Martin R. (2010). Toxic Plant Proteins. Springer. pp. 134–. ISBN 9783642121760. Retrieved 1 January 2013.
4. Lewis, Robert Alan (1998). Lewisʼ Dictionary of Toxicology. CRC Press. pp. 3–4. ISBN 9781566702232. Retrieved 1 January 2013.
5. Allen, Oscar Nelson; Alen, Ethel K. (1981). The Leguminosae: A Source Book of Characteristics, Uses and Nodulation. Univ of Wisconsin Press. pp. 4–. ISBN 9780299084004. Retrieved 1 January 2013.
6. Swanepoel, W.; Kolberg, H. (2011). "Abrus kaokoensis (Leguminosae-Papilionoideae-Abreae), a new species from Namibia". South African Journal of Botany. 77 (3): 613–617. doi:10.1016/j.sajb.2010.12.005. hdl:2263/58380.