BULLETIN OF THE 
Fa} USOERRTANT ORT 
No. 119 
Q 
fii 
G 
Contribution from the Bureau of Plant Industry, Wm. A. Taylor, Chief. 
September 2, 1914. 
(PROFESSIONAL PAPER.) 
FIVE ORIENTAL SPECIES OF BEANS. 
By C, V. Preer, Agrostologist in Charge, and W. J. Morse, Scientific Assistant, 
Forage-Crop Investigations. 
INTRODUCTION. 
Among the food plants of secondary importance in different parts 
of Asia are five annual species of beans that at various times have 
been introduced into the United States but concerning which very 
little definite information has been published. These five are the 
adsuki bean (Phaseolus angularis), the rice bean (Phaseolus calcaratus), 
the mung bean (Phaseolus aureus), the urd (Phaseolus mungo), 
and the moth bean (Phaseolus aconitifolvus). Unfortunately, there 
has been considerable confusion in the literature, both botanical 
and agricultural, concerning these beans, especially between the — 
first two and between the third and fourth. The adsuki bean has 
even been confused with the very different urd. 
The illustrations in this paper well show the peculiarities of each 
of these five species. They may also be distinguished by the follow- 
ing key (compare Pl. VII): 
_ Leaflets parted into 3 to 5 narrow lobes............-..--------------+++---- Moth. 
Leaflets entire or occasionally 2 or 3 lobed. 
Plants and pods very hairy; seeds mostly dull. 
Pods with short hairs; seeds globose or subglobose, green, rarely brown, 
blackish or yellow, the testa marked with fine crenulate lines; hilum 
AIG UCOM Cay Comes meyer ees Sk eet Bed aie la sista cia aoe iege Mung. 
Pods with long hairs; seeds oblong, blackish, the testa not crenulate 
Aimiatere balm ComCavenc. sco o Soe Slee ess os eee sc ccs foe c iss ee Urd. 
Plants smooth or little hairy; seeds smooth and shiny. 
Pods constricted between the seeds; hilum not concave.......----- Adsuki. 
Pods not constricted between the seeds; hilum concave...........-..-- Rice. 
The five species of Phaseolus considered in this bulletin were, 
_ together with others, placed by De Candolle (1825, p. 394~395)+ 
1 For complete bibliographic references, see the alphabetical list of literature cited at the end of this 
bulletin. 
46677°—14——_1 
