LEGUMES FOR SEED 221 



more adverse conditions, and are, perhaps, less subject to dis- 

 ease. The pods are usually less fleshy, the strings more pro- 

 nounced (they are entirely absent in some garden varieties), 

 and the seeds more abundant and better developed. 



262. Common Characters. Field beans have upright, branch- 

 ing, ribbed stems bearing large leaves with three entire oval- 

 acuminate leaflets, the upper ones symmetrical, the lateral ones 

 oblique. There are two stipules at the base of the upper leaf- 

 lets and one at the base of each of the lateral leaflets. The flow- 

 ers are borne in racemes from the axils of the leaves. A pair of 

 flowers and the pods arise at a single place, and are borne on 

 short stalks, pointing in opposite directions. The calyx is 

 small compared with the corolla. The pod is linear and sev- 

 eral-seeded; it is not jointed, but may be slightly constricted 

 between the seeds. 



263. Variable Characters. The plant may vary in height, 

 usually from 24 to 30 inches; it may be upright or spreading; 

 it may have runners that is, show a tendency to climb ; or run- 

 ners may be wanting. The leaves vary abundantly; the leaf- 

 lets vary in size, shape, texture, and color. The flowers may be 

 white or purple. The flower or pod stem varies in length and 

 in number of pods. The pods may vary in length and in num- 

 ber of seeds; they may be straight or curved, twisted or sym- 

 metrical, flat or oval, smooth or rough, depressed or full be- 

 tween seeds. The seeds may 'be white, brown, red, black, or 

 mottled. The scar or eye (hilum) may be white, black, yellow 

 or mottled yellow. The seed varies greatly in shape and size. 



264. Varieties. While the common bean is known as kidney 

 bean, certain varieties of the kidney bean are known as kidney 

 beans, because of their kidney shape; while other varieties are 

 rather loosely classified as marrow, medium, or pea beans. The 

 last two types are often called navy beans. Gilmore has 



