Abrus

For the insect genus, see Abrus (leafhopper).

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]

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)

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