EUCALYPTUS TREES. 863 
sis, Humb.; P. rostratus, Wallich.)— Almost cosmo- 
politan within the tropics, where, irrespective of 
navigation and other traffic, it becomes dispersed by 
migrating birds ; truly spontaneous also in tropical 
Australia. A perennial herb with large flowers, re- 
sembling those of Vigna vexillata, Benth. Cultivated 
for its seeds, which are rather small, but copiously 
produced. 
Phaseolus coccineus, Kniphof.* (P. multiflorus, 
Willd.)—The Turkish Bean, or Scarlet-runner. <A 
native of the Orient, if Sprengel’s identification is cor- 
rect, according to which this plant was known in Ara- 
bia and Persia, at Avicenna’s time; but, according 
to other opinions, it is a native of Mexico. A twin- 
ing, showy perennial, as useful as the ordinary French 
Bean. Its seeds usually larger than those of the lat- 
ter plant—purple, with black dots, but sometimes also 
pure blue, and again quite white. The flowers occur 
sometimes white. The root contains a narcotic poison. 
Phaseolus lunatus, L. — Considered as a native of 
tropical America, but also recorded as wild from many 
parts of tropical Africa and Asia. Biennial according 
to Roxburgh. Much cultivated in the warm zone for 
its edible beans, which are purple or white. <A yel- 
low- flowered variety, or closely - allied species, is 
known as the Madagascar Bean, and proved hardy 
and productive here. P. perennis, Walt., from the 
United States of North America, is another allied 
* plant. 
Phaseolus Mungo, L. (P. Max, L.)—The Green 
Gram. South Asia and tropical Australia. An an- 
nual, very hairy plant, not much climbing. Fre- 
quently reared in India when rice fails, or where that 
