COMMON KIDNEY BEAN 



COMMON KIDNEY BEAN 



PhasMus vulgaris. ' 



Phaseolus, the ancient name of the Kidney Bean. 



This is believed to be the original of most of the cultivated Beans of 

 our market with the exception of the Lima Bean. Good opinion refers 

 the plant to South American origin. Annual. 



Stem. — Short and erect, or long and twining. 



Leaves. — Trifoliate; leaflets ovate. 



Flowers. — Papilionaceous, in loose racemes on stout peduncles; the 

 white flowers have a dark, silky spot in the middle of the two lateral 

 petals; other petals entirely white. 



Calyx. — ^With two bracts at base, 

 somewhat two-lipped. 



Keel. — Beaked and, together with 

 stamens and style, spirally twisted. 



Pod. — Many-seeded; seeds kidney- 

 shaped, varying greatly in color and 

 markings. 



Our present Garden Bean is be- 

 lieved to be of American origin and 

 of comparatively recent cultivation, 

 although it is clear that several other 

 species of Bean have been cultivated 

 in the East from most ancient times. 

 This, however, is regarded so highly 

 that it is now well distributed over 

 the world and has, in the main, 

 supplanted other Beans. 



The food value of the Bean, of whatever species, has long been 

 recognized, and modem research' has referred this value to the 

 nitrogen which it contains. For years, the standing question has 

 been, "Where and how did you get it?" for Beans growing upon 

 soils meagre in nitrogen were themselves rich in nitrogen. It is 

 now known that the entire leguminous family, especially Beans 

 and allied species, harbor on their roots colonies of bacteria which 

 have the power of transforming the free nitrogen of the air, which 



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Kidney Bean, Phasiolus vulgaris 



