594 sturtevant's notes on edible plants 



Kyampsia or bean feast, which the Athenians celebrated in honor of Apollo, was 

 characterized by the use of beans. What the Greeks called the Egyptian bean was the 

 seed of Nelumbium speciosum} 



The Emperor Chin-nong * is said to have introduced the bean into China in the year 

 2822 B. C. The period of its introduction into Britain is unknown but Gerarde,' 1597, 

 appears to have known only two varieties. At Teneriffe, at the discovery, the people 

 are said to have had beans and peas or vetches, all of which they call hacichei.* In 1667, 

 Father Carli ' speaks of " kidney beans and common beans " in Congo. In 1776, they 

 were seen by Thunberg in Japan. The first introduction into the North American colo- 

 nies was by Captain Gosnold, 1602, who planted them on the Elizabeth Islands near the 

 coast of Massachusetts, where they flourished well. They were also cultivated in New- 

 foundland as early as 1622, in New Netherlands in 1644, and in Virginia prior to 1648.^ 

 Beans are mentioned as activated in New England prior to 1671 by Jossel}^!.* In 

 McMahon's ' work of 1806, fourteen kinds are eniunerated. In 1828, Thorburn '" gives, 

 in his seed list, six kinds and in 1881 but four. European beans are seldom cultivated 

 in America now, their place being taken by the kidney beans. 



The vague indications of the supposed habitat of the bean in Persia or on the shores 

 of the Caspian, says Targioni-Tozzetti," have not been confirmed by modem researches. 

 " May it not," says he, " have originated from Vicia narbonensis, a species not uncom- 

 mon in the Mediterranean region from Spain to the Caucasus and very much resem- 

 bling the bean in every respect except in the thinness of the pod and the smallness of the 

 seeds? " 



Linnaeus forms this bean into two botanical varieties, as does also Moench, who 

 names the one hortensis, or the garden bean, the other equina, or the horse bean. These 

 are both figured or mentioned by the early botanists; the hortensis, or garden bean, by 

 Fuchsius, 1542, and Tragus, 1552. The equina is described by Pena and Lobel in their 

 Adversaria, 1570, and by Lyte in his Dodoens, 1586, as well as by Dodonaeus, 1566. 

 R. Thompson,'^ 1850, describes ten varieties, giving synonyms and these include all known 

 to him. Let us follow up his synonymy, in order to see whether varieties of modem 

 origination appear. This synonymy is founded upon identity of names in most instances 

 and applies to the garden bean only, yet collateral evidence would seem to indicate a 

 substantial correctness: 



De CandoUe, A. Geog. Bot. 2:956. 1855. 

 Ibid. 



Gerarde, J. iferft. 1038. 1597. 



* Gen. Coll. Voy. Portugese 183. 1789. 

 ' Churchill CoW. Foy. 1:500. 1744. 



' Thunberg, C. P. Fl. Jap. 284. 1784. 



' Perj. Desc. Va. 4. 1649. Force Coll. Tracts 2: No. 8. 1838. 



' Josselyn, J. New Eng. Rar. 143. 1865. 



McMahon, B. Atner. Card. Col. 580. 1806. 

 " Thorburn Cat. 1828 and 1 88 1 . . 

 " Targioni-Toazetti Journ. Hort. Soc. Land. 138. 1855. 

 " Thompson, R. Gard. Chron. 84. 1850. 



