PERKINS THE LEGUMINOSAE OF PORTO RICO. 215 



" snap" beans. The mature seeds, of which there are a number of different colors, are, 

 on account of the abundance of legumin and starch, very nutritious, but also somewhat 

 difficult to digest. They are consumed in large quantities, cooked in various ways, in 

 Mexico, the United States, and Europe. A small white variety, the ''navy bean." is 

 used for victualing ships. The meal made from the seeds was formerly and is even yet 

 used for poultices and is a component part of rouge. 

 Local name, habichuela. 



3. Phaseolus caracalla L. 



(Urban, 308.) 



Stems woody at the base, high- twining, glabrous or subpubescent; stipules ovate 

 or oblong; petiole often reaching 1 foot in length; leaflets usually 30 cm. long, 10 cm. 

 wide, membranaceous; peduncle about 30 cm. long; nodes thickened, pedicels about 

 1.2 cm. long; flowers about 2.5 cm. long, fragrant, purplish-lilac, or yellow and orange 

 mixed; calyx about 1 cm. long, large, often colored, glabrous; lobes short, broad, very 

 obtuse, uppermost one bifid, all much shorter than the tube; petals all more or less 

 twisted, keel 3 or 4 times twisted; legume straight, pendulous, 15 cm. long, acuminate, 

 glabrous, torulose. 



Cultivated near Mayaguez. Native country. South America. 



Local name, caracol. 



4. Phaseolus antillanus Urb. 



(Urban, 309.) 



Stems twining, 7 meters long; stipules oblong or obliquely ovate-oblong, 3 to 4 mm. 

 long, the apex obtuse; petiole with narrow and obliquely ovate stipels, reaching 2 

 mm. in length; leaflets 3, the central one triangular or ovate-oblong, shortly acuminate, 

 5 to 7 cm. long, 3 to 5 cm. wide with a petiolule 1 to 2 cm. long, the lateral ones very 

 unequal-sided, obliquely ovate, truncate at the base, with a petiolule 2 to 3 mm. long, 

 all membranaceous when dry, shortly and thinly pilose or subglabrous; peduncle 7 

 to 30 cm. long, with 2 to 5 nodes above; bracts, ovate-oblong obtuse, 2 to 4 mm. long; 

 pedicel 1 to 2 mm. long; calyx 5 to 6 mm. long, glabrous or above thinly pilose, shortly 

 ciliate on the margin; tube campanulate; lower segments triangular or ovate, obtuse, 

 half as long as the tube, the lateral one somewhat longer, the uppermost one broadly 

 truncate or slightly emarginate; flowers blue, 20 to 25 mm. long, with a pedicel 1 to 

 2 mm. long; standard broadly ovate, 20 mm. long, 17 mm. wide below, the apex rotund- 

 ate, slightly emarginate, the claw 5 mm. long; wings obovate-oblong, the apex sub- 

 truncate, 18 to 25 mm. long; pod 8 to 13 cm. long, 4 to 5 mm. wide, thinly clothed 

 with minute hairs, margin incrassate; seeds ovate-reniform, 3.5 to 4 mm. long, 2.5 mm. 

 wide, convex, brown, often spotted with white. 



Between Aibonito and Algarrobo on roadsides; near Juana Diaz in thickets toward 

 Escalabrado; near Guanica, in shady plains at Montalba; near Anasco on declivities 

 at Hatillo. Cuba (Wright), Jamaica (March), Haiti (Buch), Martinique (Duss), St. 

 Vincent (Smith). 



Probably near P. peduncularis H. B. K., as well as can be determined from the very 

 incomplete type specimen of that species. 



5. Phaseolus adenanthus G. F. W. Mey. 



(Urban, 308.) 



Stem firm-herbaceous, wide-climbing; stipules 4.4 mm. deep, broad, ovate, erect, 

 persistent; petiole 3 to 6 cm. long; leaflets 3, the central one ovate, acuminate, 5 to 

 10 cm. long, 2 to 3.5 cm. wide, the lateral ones unequal-sided, the veins beneath 

 slightly rufo-pu bescent; flowers 6 to 12 in moderately dense axillary racemes on pe- 

 duncles exceeding the leaves, white with large red spots; calyx 0.6 mm. deep; corolla 



