Abrus precatorius.
Botanical name:
Abrus precatorius Linn. Leguminosae. Coral-Bead Plant. Love Pea. Red-Bead Vine. Rosary-Pea Tree. Wild Licorice.
A plant common within the tropics in the Old World, principally upon the shores. The beauty of the seeds, their use as beads and for necklaces, and their nourishing qualities, have combined to scatter the plant. The seeds are used in Egypt as a pulse, but Don says they are the hardest and most indigestible of all the pea tribe. Brandis says the root is a poor substitute for licorice.
Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World, 1919, was edited by U. P. Hedrick.
