284 CALYCIFLORJE. 



HAB. Cultivated. 



FL. Throughout the year. 



Erect, a foot or more in height : branches angulose, hispid. 

 Leaflets deltoideo-ovate, acuminate, hirsute with some of the 

 hairs minutely uncinate : petiole subtetragonal, channelled 

 above. Stipules deltoideo-ovate, veined, thickened and re- 

 flected at the base : stipels lanceolate. Raceme subterminal, 

 an inch and a half in length, about 6-flowered, rachis anguloso- 

 striated, pubescent, thick at the base, but diminishing as the 

 pedicels are given ofi^: pedicels geminate, with the lowest pair 

 in the axilla formed by the leaf and peduncle, bracteated. 

 Flowers of a pale rose or lilac. Calyx bibracteolated, exter- 

 nally puberulous with minute uncinate hairs : upper lip emar- 

 ginate or acute : under 3-fid, with the divisions acute, and the 

 middle one the longest. Standard reflected, emarginate ; wings 

 elliptic, nearly as large as the standard ; keel and stamens as in 

 the generic character. Ovary linear, compressed, appresso-pu- 

 bescent : style glabrous, but pubescent towards the stigma. 

 Legumes pendulous. 



According to De Candolle, this is to be considered as merely 

 a variety of Phaseolus vulgaris. 



There are several varieties of this species cultivated in 

 Jamaica: 1. One- coloured ; with seeds black, yellow, red, &c. 

 The hlack-hetty bean belongs to this variety. 'I. The streaked ; 

 seeds marked with broad linear curved spots. 3. The variegated; 

 seeds marked with rubiginose, leaden, &c., more or less I'ound- 

 ed spots. 4. The saponaceous ; with the back of the seeds 

 white, but the sides and concavity marbled with spots, so as to 

 resemble a common soap-ball. 



The dwarf Kidney-bean is a native of the East Indies, but is 

 now extensively cultivated in this Island. It is a favourite 

 dish among the French and Spanish Catholics, the formulary 

 of whose Church enjoins a number of meagre days, on whiclj 

 the people are expected to subsist, in a great measure, on pulse, 

 with the addition of vegetable oil. 



The young pods are served up as a vegetable, under the 

 name of French-beans. The Beans wlien full, but not dry, are 

 used in stews or soup. The leaves are boiled, and employed 

 among the Nubians as an esculent. 



The best crops of this Bean are procured from seed sown 

 during Spring and Autumn. A scanty return is obtained 

 during the cool or very hot period of the year. It is very 

 fruitful, and comes into bearing in the course of 5 or 6 weeks. 



10. Phaseolus lathyroides. Crimson-flowered Pha- 



seolus. 



Stem erect glabrous, leaflets oblong acuminate, ra- 



