Plants used for beads

Plants in Ruth Smith's book

Smith, Ruth J., 2003. Botanical Beads of the World.

http://www.botanicalbeads.com/

The seeds of many plants are used as beads for collars or rosaries. Books documenting such usages are very rare. The above-mentioned book is excellent, and has the advantage of being fully accessible on the Internet, with photos. The author knows that her inventory is incomplete. If you find species not mentioned, please add them to the field at the bottom, and go to her site to make her know.

Seeds are usually used. When it is another organ, this organ is mentioned in parentheses.

• Abelmoschus moschatus Medik. – Muskmallow; Ambrette
• Abrus precatorius L. – Rosary pea; Jequirity
• Acacia spp.
• Acrocomia spp. – Corozo palm
• Adenanthera pavonina L. Red sandalwood; Saga
• Afzelia quanzensis Welw. – Rhodesian mahogany
• Albizia lebbeck (L.) Benth. – Lebbek tree
• Aleurites moluccana (L.)Willd. – Kukui nut
• Amomum subulatum Roxb. – Nepal cardamom (fruit)
• Anacardium occidentale L. – Cashew nut
• Annona muricata, Annona squamosa – Custard apple; Guanabana
• Araucaria angustifolia (Bertol.) Kuntze – Parana pine
• Areca catechu L. Betel nut
• Astrocaryum spp. – Starnut palm
• Bambusa spp. – Bamboo (stems)
• Betula spp. – Birches (bark)
• Blighia sapida K. D. Koenig – Akee
• Boscia albitrunca (Burch.) Gilg & Benedict
• Caesalpinia bonduc (L.) Roxb. – Nickernut
• Caesalpinia decapetala (Roth) Alston – Mysore thorn
• Calamus spp. – Rattan palm
• Calophyllum inophyllum L. – Alexandrian laurel; kamani
• Canarium album (Lour.) Raeusch. – Chinese white olive
• Canavalia gladiata (Jacq.) DC. – Sword bean
• Canavalia rosea (SW.) DC. – Bay bean
• Canna indica L. – Canna; Indian Shot
• Cannabis sativa L. – Hemp
• Cardiospermum halicacabum L. – Heartseed; Balloon vine
• Cassia spp. – Cassia
• Cedrela spp. – Cedrela
• Ceiba acuminata (S. Watson) Rose = Ceiba aesculifolia (Kunth) Britten & Baker – Cotton tree
• Choerospondias axillaris (Roxb.) B. L. Burtt & A.W. Hill
• Choricarpia leptopetala (F. Muell.) Domin – Brown myrtle
• Cleistopholis patens (Benth.)Engl. & Diels – Salt and oil tree
• Cocos nucifera L. – Coconut (shell cut in thin disks)
• Coffea arabica L. – Coffee
• Coix lacryma–jobi L. Job’s tears
• Combretum spp. – Combretum
• Corypha sp. - buri nut
• Couratari guianensis Aubl. – Barkcoth
• Cucumis melo L. – Melon
• Cyperus papyrus L. – Bulrush (rhizome)
• Cyperus rotundus L. – Coco grass (tuber)
• Dalbergia monetaria L .f. – Coin plant
• Datura stramonium L. – Jimson weed
• Delonix regia (Bojer ex Hook.) Raf. – Royal poinciana
• Detarium microcarpum Guill. & Perr. – Dank
• Dioclea reflexa Hook. f. – Sea purse
• Dipteryx micrantha Harms – Coin plant
• Dipteryx odorata (Aubl.) Willd. – Tonka bean
• Elaeagnus commutata Bernh. ex Rydb. – Wolf Willow
• Elaeocarpus spp. – Rudraksha
• Elettaria cardamomum (L.) Maton –Cardamom (fruit)
• Ensete ventricosum (Welw.) Cheesman
• Entada gigas (L.) Fawc.& Rendle – Sea heart
• Entada phaseoloides (L.)Merr. – Snuffbox seabean
• Entada spp.
• Enterolobium cyclocarpum (Jacq.) Griseb. – Large ear pod; Guanacaste
• Erythrina flabelliformis Kearney – Coral bean
• Erythrina lysistemon Hutch. - Kafferboom
• Erythrina vespertilio – Bat’s-wing coral bean
• Eucalyptus spp. – Gum nuts
• Ginkgo biloba L. – Maidenhair tree; ginkgo
• Gymnocladus dioicus (L.) K. Koch – Kentucky coffee bean
• Hernandia nymphaefolia (C.Presl.) Kubitzki – Lantern tree
• Hevea brasiliensis (Willd. ex A. Juss.) Müll.Arg. – Rubber
• Hura crepitans L. – Sandbox tree (coques)
• Hymenaea courbaril L. – West Indian locust
• Hyphaene thebaica (L.) Mart. – Doum palm
• Iris douglasiana Herb. – Iris (leaves)
• Juglans nigra L. – Black walnut
• Juglans spp. – Walnut
• Juniperus deppeana Steud. – Alligator juniper
• Juniperus monosperma (Engelm.) Sarg. – One-seed juniper
• Juniperus osteosperma (Torr.) Little - Desert juniper
• Latania loddigessii Mart. – Blue lantan palm
• Lepidocaryum tenue Mart. – Carani palm
• Leucaena leucocephala (Lam.) deWit – Lead tree
• Manilkara zapota (L.) P. Royen – Chicle; Sapodilla
• Martynia annua L. – Devil’s claw
• Melia azedarach L. – Chinaberry; Persian lilac
• Merremia discoidesperma (Donn.Sm.) O’Donnell- Mary’s bean
• Mirabilis jalapa L. – Four o’clock
• Mucuna spp. – True sea beans
• Musa spp. – Banana
• Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn. – Sacred lotus
• Ochrosia elliptica Labill. – Pokosola
• Ocimum tenuiflorum L. – Holy basil; Sacred basil (stems)
• Oenocarpus bacaba Mart – Bacaba
• Olea spp. – Olive
• Ormosia spp. – Necklace tree
• Oxyrhynchus trinervius (Donn.Sm.) Rudd
• Ozoroa reticulata (Baker f.) R. Fern & A. Fern. – Resin tree
• Parkia spp. – African locust beans
• Pentaclethra macrophylla Benth. – Oil bean tree
• Phenakospermum guyannense (Rich.) Endl. ex Miq.
• Phytelephas spp. – Tagua
• Pinus leiophylla Schltdl. & Cham. – Octote chino
• Pinus spp. – Pine
• Pithecellobium dulce (Roxb.) Benth. – Manila tamarind
• Prunus mume Siebold & Zucc. – Japanese apricot
• Prunus spp. – Peach, plum, cherry, apricot
• Psidium cattleianum Sabine – Strawberry guava
• Quercus spp. – Acorn
• Raphia spp. – Raffia
• Rhynchosia precatoria DC. – Piule
• Ricinus communis L. – Castor oil plant
• Rosa spp. – Roses (rose hips)
• Santalum acuminatum (R.Br.) DC. – Quandong
• Santalum album L. – Sandalwood
• Sapindus saponaria L. Soapberry; Black pearl
• Schizolobium parahyba (Vell.) S.F. Blake – Schizolobium
• Sclerocarya birrea subsp. caffra (Sond.) Kokwaro – Marula
• Simmondsia chinensis (Link) C.K. Schneid. – Jojoba
• Socratea exorrhiza (Mart) H. Wendl. – Stilt palm
• Sophora secundiflora (Ortega) Lag. ex DC. = Calia secundiflora (Ortega) Yakovlev – Mescal bean
• Strychnos nux-vomica L. – Poison nut; Strychnine
• Strychnos pungens Soler. – Monkey orange
• Swietenia macrophylla King – Honduras mahogany; Mexican mahogany (central column of the fruit)
• Syzygium aromaticum (L.) Merr. & L. M. Perry – Cloves
• Tamarindus indica L. – Tamarind
• Thevetia peruviana (Pers.) K. Schum. – Yellow oleander
• Turraea spp.
• Umbellularia californica (Hook. & Arn.) Nutt. – California bay tree; California olive
• Ungnadia speciosa Endl. – Texas buckeye
• Veitchia merrillii (Becc.) H.E. Moore – Manila palm; Christmas palm
• Viscainoa geniculata Greene - xneejam
• Zea mays L. – Corn
• Ziziphus jujuba Mill. – Chinese date

Other sources

• Afzelia africana Sm. ex Pers. (PROTA)
• Azadirachta indica (Wikipedia)
• Baikiaea plurijuga Harms (PROTA)
• Caesalpinia bonducella (Wikipedia)
• Canarium indicum L., nangaille (Vidal)
• Casuarina equisetifolia Forst. & Forst., filao (Vidal)
• Cassia fistula L., canéficier (Vidal)
• Chrysophyllum cainito, caïmitier (Vidal)
• Copaifera salikounda Heckel (PROTA)
• Daniellia oliveri (Rolfe) Hutch. & Dalziel (gum used as amber perls) (PROTA)
• Elaeocarpus angustifolius Blume (PROTA)
• Elaeocarpus ganitrus (Wikipedia)
• Entada rheedei Spreng. (Vidal)
• Eremospatha haullevilleana De Wild. (PROTA)
• Euterpe edulis Mart., açai (Vidal)
• Gleditsia triacanthos L., févier (Vidal)
• Koelreuteria paniculata Laxm., savonnier (Vidal)
• Raphia farinifera (Gaertn.) Hyl., palmier à fruits glouglou (Vidal)
• Samanea saman (Jacq.) Merr., zamana (Vidal)
• Sapindus mukorossi (Wikipedia)
• Schefflera morototoni (Aubl.) Maguire et al., tobitoutou (Vidal)
• Sclerosperma profiziana Valk. & Sunderl. (kernel formerly used for rings, PROTA)
• Sterculia africana (Lour.) Fiori (PROTA)
• Vitellaria paradoxa C.F. Gaertn., karité (Vidal)
• Zanthoxylum zanthoxyloides (Lam.) Zepern. & Timler (PROTA)

Reference

Vidal, Nathalie, 2011. Le grand livre des étonnantes graines. Entre nature et cultures. Orphie. 195 p. (another good book, in French).