Dec., 1914] 
Vicieoe and Phaseolece of Ohio. 
403 
2. Phaseolus vulgaris L. Common Pole Bean. A twining 
annual with the stem 4-10 ft. long, % g-% in. in diameter. Leaflets 
2-4 in. long, 1-3 in. wide. Flowers in racemes shorter than the 
leaves, %-% in. in length, white to purple; pods linear, 2-10 in. 
long, %-l% in. wide, the seeds generally rounded at the ends, 
white, purple, brown, black and many combinations of color. 
There are two general classes, green pod varieties and yellow 
or wax pod varieties. The common names for the different 
varieties are so confused that it is necessary to know the seed- 
house from which they come in order to know what they actually 
represent. Green snaps, green shelled and dry shelled are dif¬ 
ferent forms used as food. 
3. Phaseolus nanus L. Common Bush Bean. An erect, 
much branched annual, l%-3 ft. high, % 6 -% in. in diameter. Leaf¬ 
lets 2-4 in. long, l%-3 in. wide. Flowers in racemes, shorter than 
the leaves, %-% in. in length, white to purple; pods linear, 2-8 in. 
long, %-l% in. wide, green or yellow when young, the seeds oval 
tumid, white, purple, brown, black or variegated. 
There are two general types, green pod and wax or yellow 
pod varieties. The extensive cultivation of the green pod varieties 
as a field crop for the dry seed probably accounts for the fact that 
many of these are of the tough shelled type. Beans are a popular 
article of diet, and owing to their high proteid content are used as a 
substitute for meat, but they should probably not be employed 
as a continuous, daily diet. 
4. Phaseolus lunatus L. Lima Bean. An erect or twining 
annual, 1-10 ft. high, K 6 -%2 in. in diameter. Leaflets usually 
acute at the apex, broad at the base, some linear, usually 2-4 in. 
long, 1-3 in. wide. Flowers in. in diameter, greenish white 
pods, 3-7 in. long, 1-1% in. wide, somewhat pubescent, never 
edible at any stage of development; seeds generally flat, moon¬ 
shaped, the veining usually prominent, generally white, but some 
varieties with purple markings; %-% in. long, in the small bush 
varieties, to 1-2 in. in the large bush or climbing varieties. 
The Lima Bean is widely cultivated for the seed as food 
in the green and the dry state. 
5. Phaseolus coccineus L. Scarlet Runner Bean. A twining 
annual with a reddish-brown stem, 4-12 ft. long, % 6 -% in. in 
diameter. Leaflets 2-6 in. long, 1-3 in. wide. Flowers in 
racemes, longer than the leaves, prominently scarlet, each flower 
%-1 in. long; pods 2-5 in. long, %-l% in. wide, the seeds 3-4, 
purple with black markings. 
In sprouting, the cotyledons generally remain underground, 
altho in a few cases they are pushed above. It is usually culti¬ 
vated on account of the beauty of the foliage and the flowers. 
The beans are said to be eaten by people of Europe and South 
America. 
