Did you know that due to its significance as a food for Aboriginal people, blackbean trees were spread by hand into mountain areas of Australia and are descended from a single seed?

Black Bean Tree - Castanospermum australe

Castanospermum is a monotypic genus in the legume family Fabaceae. The sole species is Castanospermum australe, commonly known as Moreton Bay chestnut or black bean, which is native to rainforested areas on the east coast of Queensland and northeastern New South Wales, and to the southwest Pacific islands of Vanuatu and New Caledonia.

Castanospermum australe is a tropical, arge evergreen tree of about 18-35 m tall,  though commonly much smalle, and 5-12 m width with an erect trunk, grey to brown smooth bark, and glossy dark green leaves.  The leaves are 15 cm (5.9 in) long and 6–7 cm broad, pinnate, with 11-15 leaflets.The flowers are pea-shaped, yellow to orange in colour and form into clusters.

The fruit is a cylindrical pod 12–20 cm  long and 4–6 cm diameter, the interior divided by a spongy substance into one to five cells, each of which contains a large chestnut-like seed, 3 - 4.5cm wide. The seed is edible when cooked but requires extensive leaching prior to consumption due to its high saponins content.

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