Dec, 1914.] Viciece and Phaseolece of Ohio. 403. 



2. Phaseolus vulgaris L. Common Pole Bean. A twining 

 annual with the stem 4-10 ft. long, }{&-% in. in diameter. Leaflets 

 2-4 in. long, 1-3 in. wide. Flowers in racemes shorter than the 

 leaves, Yr-Yi in. in length, white to purple; pods linear, 2-10 in. 

 long, /4-l% in. wide, the seeds generally rounded at the ends^ 

 white, purple, brown, black and many combinations of color. 



There are two general classes, green pod varieties and yellow 

 or wax pod varieties. The common names for the different 

 varieties are so confused that it is necessary to know the seed- 

 house from which they come in order to know what they actually 

 represent. Green snaps, green shelled and dry shelled are dif- 

 ferent forms used as food. 



3. Phaseolus nanus L. Common Bush Bean. An erect ,- 

 much branched annual, 1)2-3 ft. high, }{&-% in. in diameter. Leaf- 

 lets 2-4 in. long, lK-3 in. wide. Flowers in racemes, shorter than 

 the leaves, K-K in. in length, white to purple; pods linear, 2-8 in. 

 long, %-iy2 in. wide, green or yellow when young, the seeds oval 

 tumid, white, purple, brown, black or variegated. 



There are two general types, green pod and wax or yellow 

 pod varieties. The extensive cultivation of the green pod varieties 

 as a field crop for the dry seed probably accounts for the fact that 

 many of these are of the tough shelled type. Beans are a popular 

 article of diet, and owing to their high proteid content are used as a 

 substitute for meat, but they should probably not be employed 

 as a continuous, daily diet. 



4. Phaseolus lunatus L. Lima Bean. An erect or twining 

 annual, 1-10 ft. high, K6-/12 in. in diameter. Leaflets usually 

 acute at the apex, broad at the base, some linear, usually 2-4 in. 

 long, 1-3 in. wide. Flowers ji-Y in. in diameter, greenish white 

 pods, 3-7 in. long, 1-lK in. wide, somewhat pubescent, never 

 edible at any stage of development; seeds generally flat, moon- 

 shaped, the veining usually prominent, generally white, but some 

 varieties with purple markings; K-/4 in. long, in the small bush 

 varieties, to 1-2 in. in the large bush or climbing varieties. 



The Lima Bean is widely cultivated for the seed as food 

 in the green and the dry state. 



5. Phaseolus coccineus L. Scarlet Runner Bean. A twining 

 annual with a reddish-brown stem, 4-12 ft. long, /i6-/s in. in 

 diameter. Leaflets 2-6 in. long, 1-3 in. wide. Flowers in 

 racemes, longer than the leaves, prominently scarlet, each flower 

 ji-l in. long; pods 2-5 in. long, /i-lVi in. wide, the seeds 3^,. 

 purple with black markings. 



In sprouting, the cotyledons generally remain underground^, 

 altho in a few cases they are pushed above. It is usually culti- 

 vated on account of the beauty of the foliage and the flowers. 

 The beans are said to be eaten by people of Europe and South 

 America. 



