Coinvine

Coinvine was identified beneath Black Mangrove in January 2026, occupying a shaded part of miniBIOTA's Mangrove Forest. Whether it persisted or gained enough light to grow remains unknown.

Dalbergia ecastaphyllum is a large woody vine or scrambling shrub native to tropical and subtropical coastal habitats throughout the Caribbean, Florida, Central America, South America, and West Africa. In Florida, it is found primarily in South Florida and the Florida Keys in coastal hammocks, mangrove fringe areas, and beach scrub. The plant is a member of the legume family (Fabaceae), and like most legumes can host nitrogen-fixing bacteria in root nodules, contributing to soil nitrogen in the coastal habitats it occupies.

The plant's most distinctive feature is its seed pod: a flat, round, indehiscent (non-splitting) pod approximately 2 to 4 centimeters in diameter, shaped like a coin or disc. This pod gives the plant its common names Coinvine and, in some sources, rosary tree (referring to the pod's bead-like shape when strung together). The leaves are large, simple, rounded, leathery, and alternate on the stem; the plant grows as a vine climbing into the canopy or as a multi-stemmed sprawling shrub depending on substrate and light. Flowers are small, white, and pea-shaped, produced in clusters.

Dalbergia ecastaphyllum is an important host plant for the Miami Blue butterfly (Cyclargus thomasi bethunebakeri), a critically endangered South Florida endemic. The butterfly lays eggs on Coinvine seedpods and flower buds, and larvae feed on the developing seeds and buds. This association makes Coinvine a species of conservation significance in Florida coastal habitats where the Miami Blue persists. Other Lepidoptera species also use Dalbergia ecastaphyllum as a larval host in its native range.

In mangrove and coastal hammock habitats, Coinvine contributes structure to the ecotone zone between the mangrove canopy and the upland scrub. Its large rounded leaves provide shade and humidity beneath, and the vine's climbing growth can integrate into mangrove canopy structure in mature stands.

As a leguminous vine, Dalbergia ecastaphyllum contributes photosynthetically produced biomass and potentially nitrogen-fixed nutrients to coastal habitats. Its flowers provide nectar to pollinators, and its seed pods are food resources for seed-feeding insects and potentially small mammals. The plant's structural presence as a vine climbing into the canopy creates additional above-ground layer complexity.

In miniBIOTA, Coinvine occupied a shaded spot beneath Black Mangrove on January 16, 2026, matching its natural mangrove-fringe habitat. If established, it could provide structural complexity and legume biomass at the Mangrove Forest ecotone. The Miami Blue butterfly host-plant relationship is not applicable to miniBIOTA (the butterfly is not a miniBIOTA species), but the plant's general pollinator value and legume nitrogen-fixing potential remain ecologically relevant.

January 16, 2026: Coinvine occupied a shaded spot beneath Black Mangrove in Mangrove Forest. Its plant count and later survival are unknown.

Introduction: Arrival date, method and source are unknown.