Phaseolus LEGUMINOSAE Vigna 



tropical and temperate regions; 5 or more cultivated in China. (The old name of the 

 Kidney Bean.) 



Key to the Species 



a. Fls. white, cream-colored or purple: pods compressed, or oval in sec- 

 tion, not flattened; seeds l-1.5cm. long 1. P. vulgaris 



aa. Fls. yellow: pods cylindrical; seeds much smaller. 



Floral bracts ovate to ovate-lanceolate, equalling the calyx: lfts. 

 ovate or rhombic-ovate. 



Plant and pods very hairy; seeds usually green 2. P. aureus 



Plant and pods glabrous or only thinly hairy; seeds usually red- 

 brown 3. P. angularis 



Floral bracts narrowly lanceolate, longer than the calyx: lfts. 



lanceolate-ovate 4. P. chrysanthos 



1. Phaseolus vulgaris Linn. Kidney Bean ^S (Ts'ai Tou; Vegetable Bean) (B.M. 

 574). Twining herb; fls. pink or white, VI-IX; fr. VII-X; seeds white or brown. 

 Introduced, probably of American origin; locally in An., Ki., Ku. Cultivated, 

 vegetable. 



2. Phaseolus aureus Roxb. Green Gram |^a (Lu Tou; Green Bean) (B.M. 575). 

 Bushy herb, to 0.5m.; fls. greenish yellow, VII; fr. VIII-X. Introduced, pro- 

 bably of Indian origin; locally in An., Che., Ku. Cultivated, vegetable. Fig. 185. 



3. Phaseolus angularis Wight Adzuki Bean ^>h~5L (Ch'ih Hsiao Tou; Small Red- 

 bean) (B.M. 575). Bushy herb, to 8dm.; fls. yellow, VIII. Asia; locally in An., 

 Ku. Cultivated, vegetable. 



4. Phaseolus chrysanthos Savi (DC. P. 2:395). Twining vine; fls. yellow, IX; fr. 

 X; seeds red-brown. Field and roadside weed. 



36. Vigna Savi W3-M (Kan Tou Shu) 

 Similar to Phaseolus, but with the keel of the corolla curved, not coiled; and with 

 the pods long and slender, and seeds never broad and flat. 30-60 species, in tropical 

 and temperate regions; 3 or more in China. (In honor of Dominicus Vigni, an Italian 

 scientist of the 17th century.) 



Key to the Species 



Pods inflated and flabby when green, up to 1 m. long, often eaten as 



a vegetable 1 . V. sesquipedalis 



Pods hard and firm, not inflated and flabby, up to 30 cm. long, not 



commonly used for food 2. V. ung uiculata 



1. Vigna sesquipedalis (L.) Fruwirth Yard-long Bean j^SL (Ch'ang Tou; Long Bean) 

 (B.M. 576). Trailing herbaceous vine; fls. yellowish or violet, VI; fr. VIII. In- 

 troduced from tropical Asia; locally in Ku. Cultivated, food. 



2. Vigna unguiculata (L.)Walp. Cowpea US (Kang Tou) (Field. 24:365). Erect 

 or scandent herb; fls. yellowish, VI; fr. VIII. Introduced from tropical Asia; 

 locally in An., Che., Hup., Ku. Cultivated, fodder. Fig. 186. 



The several varieties and forms going under the names Vigna catjang Walp. and V. 

 sinensis (L.) Savi have been found by Dalziel to be attributable to V. unguiculata . See " The 

 Useful Plants of West Tropical Africa," pp. 266-269. 



194 



