During the development of a systematic study of the species of Canavalia from the New World a new species with floral morphology suggesting a bird pollination system was found, contrasting with the bee pollination pattern of the genus. Canavalia reflexiflora differs from the other species of the genus mainly by its flowers with a reflexed standard; in addition, it also has red flowers, wing and keel petals as long as the standard petal, and an oblong seed with the hilum surrounding nearly half the seed circumference.