426 BOTANY OF CROP PLANTS 



Seeds smaller; pods short and thick, with prominent tip; leaflets tapering, 

 long ovate. Potato Limas. 

 Plants bush (Dreer's Dwarf Lima). 

 Plants pole (Dreer's Improved). 



PHASEOLUS VULGARIS (Kidney Bean) 



These are annual plants, with pinnately trifoliate leaves 

 and ovate leaflets. The flowers are small, not over % inch 

 across the wing, and are white, yellowish, or blue-purple. 

 The slender -pods vary in shape, and have kidney-shaped 

 seeds. 



This species is thought to be a native of tropical America. 

 The cultivated varieties thrive best where the growing 

 season is warm. 



There are, according to Tracy, 145 varieties of kidney 

 beans in America. These are usually divided into two large 

 subdivisions, pole and hush.\ These in turn each possess 

 green-podded and wax-podded sorts. The bush beans are 

 often grouped together under the variety P. vulgaris nanus. 

 Most of our common garden sorts are dwarf or bush beans. ^ 



The stringiness of bean pods is due to strips of inedible, 

 tough fibers at the sutures. 



Uses of Beans. — Beans are used in large quantities dried, 

 and in the pod as "green beans." Lima beans are often 

 canned with corn in succotash. Great quantities of common 

 kidney beans are put up in the form of "pork and beans." 

 The Mexicans and southwestern Indians raise beans in large 

 amounts; beans constitute one of their chief articles of diet. 



VICIA (Vetch, Broad Bean) 



Generic Description.^ — The Vicias are chmbing or traihng 

 herbaceous vines. The leaves are pinnate, tendril-bearing, 



^ For a detailed classification of American varieties of beans see Bull. 109, 

 Bureau of Plant Industry, by W. W. Tracy. 



