LEGUMINOS^. 114 PHASEOLCS. 



5. PHASE' OLUS. 



Keel with the stamens and style spirally twisted ; legume 

 compressed, falcate, many seeded ; seeds compressed, reni- 

 form ; calyx campanulate, 5-cleft, two upper segments often 

 united. 



Lat. phasehis, a little boat, which the pods may be said to resemble. — Herb- 

 aceous, twining or trailing. Leaflets stalked. 



1. P. DIVERSIFO'LIUS. 



Stem, prostrate, diffuse, scabrous with recurved hairs; lenflcts angular , 2 — 

 3-lobed or entire ; peduncles longer than the leaf, few-flowered; lower tooth 

 of the calyx longer tlian the tube ; legvmes pubescent, broadly linear, cylin- 

 dric. A creeping or climbing plant, 3 — 5 feet lor>g, on sandy shores. Pod 

 becomes black when ripe, 5 — 7-seeded. Corolla purplish, Aug. — Oct. Ann. 



2. P. helve'olus. 



Slevi slender, twining ; leaflets between oblong-ovate and linear, entire ; 

 peduncles slender, several times longer than the leaves, lew-flowered ; legume 

 straight, cylindric, 8 — 10-seeded. Grows in sandy fields. Aug. Sept. 



3. P. pere'nnis. 



Twining, pubescent; racemes paniculate, mostly in pairs, axillary ; leaflets 

 ovate, acuminate, 3-nerved; legumes pendulous, falcate, broad-mucronate. 

 A slender, twining vine, several feet long, in dry woods. Panicles of flowers 

 C — 12 inches long, exceeding the leaf, 1 — 3 together. Corolla red and pur- 

 ple. July. Per. Bean Vine. 



4. P. vulga'ris. 



Raceme solitary, shorter than the leaves; peduncles in pairs; Icgujnes pen- 

 dulous, long-mucronate. Native of E. Indies. Universally cultivated in the 

 garden, not only for the sake of its matured fruit, but for its young pods, which 

 constitute that favorite dish called string-hcans. Varieties are produced by 

 cultivation, in respect botii to the hight of the stem and the color of the fruit. 

 Leaves ternate, leaflets nearly smooth, broad ovate-, acuminate. Stipules 

 oblong. Flowers 4 or G, in each cluster, their pedicels opposite, pale-bluish 

 white. July. Ann. Common Pole Bean. 



5. P. multiflo'rus. 



Raceme solitary , as long as the leaves ; peduncles opposite ; pods pendulous ; 

 bracts appressed, a little shorter than the calyx. Native of S. America. Stem 

 twininof, many feet in length, with numerous clusters of brilliant scarlet flow- 

 ers. Fruit considered less valuable for the table than the last. Jl. Ann. 



Scarlet Kidney Bean, 



6. P. luna'tus. 



Legumes scimetar-shaped ; racemes shorter than the leaves; peduncles in 

 pairs; secrf.s compressed, purplish-white. NativeofE. Indies. Stem twining, 

 of great length. Flowers of a greenish white. Jl. Ann. Lima Beau. 



7. P. NANUS. 



Stein smooth ; bracts larger than the calyx ; pods pendulous, compressed,, 

 rugose. From India. Stem erect, a foot high. Flowers white. June. 

 Ann. Common dwarf Kidney-Bean. Buck Bean, 



