520 



MANUAL OF POISONOUS PLANTS 



Economic plants 



The order contains a large number of economic plants, especially food 

 plants. The common bean, (Phaseolus vulgaris}, was originally found in the 

 southwestern United States, but is now cultivated in all civilized countries. 

 Common string and golden wax beans are types of the last named. The 

 scarlet runner, (P. multiflorus) , generally cultivated for ornamental purposes 

 is also used as food, although the ripe beans are unwholesome and sometimes 

 poisonous. The three-lobed kidney bean, (P. trilobus), is commonly cultivated 

 in India. The lima bean, (P. lunatus), also native to America, supposedly 

 Brazil, is not known in a wild state. The seed of the Adzuki bean, (P. Mungo, 

 var. glaber), is used as food in Japan. The soy bean, (Glycine Soja and G. hispi- 

 da) t of which there are many varieties, is native to China and Japan and is used 

 in large quantities by the Japanese and Chinese for food, but is little used in the 

 United States, being here cultivated as a forage plant. 



Soy beans can only be fed in moderate amounts to cattle because of their 

 purgative properties. A loss of a considerable number of cattle occured in Eng- 

 land recently where soy bean cake had been used. When fed mixed no trouble 

 was caused, but when fed alone it caused poisoning. 



The cow-pea, (Vigna Catjang), native to China, has been cultivated for 

 centuries by the Chinese and extensively used for food. It is also used in 

 many other warm countries, especially the southern states, not only for human 

 food, but also as one of the best forage plants, for which purpose it is now 



Fig. 279. Soja Bean (Glycine hispida), 

 used both as a food and as a forage plant. 

 (U. S. Dept. Agr.) 



