Phaseolus L.

Legumes of the World. Edited by G. Lewis, B. Schrire, B. MacKinder & M. Lock. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. (2005)

Note

Previous accounts of the Phaseoleae by Baudet (1978) and Lackey (1981) recognised 90 and 84 genera and c. 1540 and 1480 species respectively in the tribe. In an equivalent, i.e. traditionally held view of Phaseoleae, 89 genera and (1554)–1567–(1580) species are treated here (Table 9; Fig. 47). Changes between Baudet (1978) and this treatment are that eleven genera are now in synonymy or have subsequently been placed in Millettieae, two genera have been transferred from Desmodieae and eight new genera have been added. Vigna has traditionally been thought to comprise some 150–200 species, but Vigna sens. strict. may contain fewer than 100.

Recent molecular analyses of the tribe, however, have emphasised both the polyphyletic and paraphyletic nature of Phaseoleae as traditionally circumscribed (Bruneau & Doyle, 1990; Doyle & Doyle, 1993; Delgado Salinas et al., 1993; Bruneau et al., 1995; Doyle et al., 1997, 2000; Kajita et al., 2001; Goel et al., 2001; Lee & Hymowitz, 2001). This has required a radical realignment of elements of the phaseoloids (Table 9; Fig. 47), with at least two major clades being evident: Phaseoleae subtribes Diocleinae and Ophrestiinae which together with tribe Abreae are allied to the core-Millettieae (Fig. 45), and the remaining groups comprising a Phaseoleae sens. lat. clade. The rbcL phylogeny of Kajita et al. (2001) and the ITS analysis of Hu et al. (2002) are equivocal as to which clade subtribe Clitoriinae belongs. Phaseoleae sens. lat. also includes two traditionally independent tribes, the Desmodieae and Psoraleeae. Delimiting a recircumscribed Phaseoleae sens. strict is thus very problematic. A solution may be to recognise a broad tribe Phaseoleae, comprising the subtribes Kennediinae, Cajaninae, Phaseolinae and Glycininae, assorted basally branching genera, and tribes Desmodieae and Psoraleeae (both treated at subtribal level).

Placed in subtribe Phaseolinae, allied to Ramirezella (q.v.) and Oxyrhynchus (q.v.) in Thulin et al. (2004)

Habit

Climbing herbs

Ecology

Seasonally dry to wet lowland and montane forest, thicket, scrub and wooded grassland, from humid to desert conditions

Distribution

tropical, subtropical and warm temperate N, C and S America (from C USA to Argentina); most concentrated in Mexico and C America and with c. 3 spp. in S America endemic to the N and C Andes and Galapagos (Delgado Salinas, pers. comm.)

Leguminosae, J. B. Gillett, R. M. Polhill & B. Verdcourt. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1971

Morphology General Habit

Herbs or subshrubs, erect, prostrate or climbing

Morphology Leaves

Leaves pinnately 3-foliolate, rarely 1-foliolate; stipules persistent, not prolonged below the point of insertion, striate; stipels present

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescences axillary, falsely racemose, the flowers in fascicles along the rhachis which is swollen at the insertion of the pedicels; bracts and bracteoles present, deciduous or ± persistent

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers usually fairly small, yellow, white, scarlet or purple

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx 5-lobed, 2-lipped; upper lip emarginate, bifid; lower lip 3-lobed

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Standard rounded, auriculate, often considerably reflexed, with 2 appendages or with only slight appendages at the side of the claw and a transverse constriction above or with none; wings often following the spiral of the keel, often broadened and cucullate at the apex; keel often narrow, elongated, the apex beaked and forming a spiral of 1–5 complete turns

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens

Vexillary stamen free; free part of other filaments usually long; anthers subuniform or 5 dorsifixed alternating with 5 basifixed

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Pistil

Ovary oblong to linear, 2–many-ovuled; style tenuous below, filiform and flexible, the apical part cartilaginous and thickened, curved through at least 360°, glabrous or hairy inside towards the summit; stigma oblique on the inner side of the style-apex or sometimes smaller and terminal or subterminal, not penicillate

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Pods linear or oblong, sometimes falcate, compressed or subcylindrical, sometimes beaked, filled between the seeds

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds 3 to many, oblong or reniform; hilum oblong, short, ± central, without appendages or with them somewhat developed.

Leguminosae, B. Mackinder, R. Pasquet, R. Polhill & B. Verdcourt. Flora Zambesiaca 3:5. 2001

Morphology General Habit

Herbs or subshrubs, erect, prostrate or climbing.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves pinnately 3-foliolate, rarely 1-foliolate; stipules persistent, not prolonged below the point of insertion, striate; stipels present.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescences axillary, falsely racemose, the flowers in fascicles along the rhachis which is swollen at the insertion of the pedicels; bracts and bracteoles present, deciduous or ± persistent.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers usually fairly small, yellow, white, scarlet or purple.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx 5-lobed, 2-lipped; upper lip emarginate, bifid; lower lip 3-lobed.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Standard rounded, auriculate, often considerably reflexed, with 2 appendages or with only slight appendages at the side of the claw and a transverse constriction above or with none; wings often following the spiral of the keel, often broadened and cucullate at the apex; keel often narrow, elongated, the apex beaked and forming a spiral of 1–5 complete turns.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens

Vexillary stamen free; free part of other filaments usually long; anthers subuniform or 5 dorsifixed alternating with 5 basifixed.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Pistil

Ovary oblong to linear, 2–many-ovuled; style tenuous below, filiform and flexible, the apical part cartilaginous and thickened, curved through at least 360°, glabrous or hairy inside towards the summit; stigma oblique on the inner side of the style apex or sometimes smaller and terminal or subterminal, not penicillate.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Pods linear or oblong, sometimes falcate, compressed or subcylindrical, sometimes beaked, filled between the seeds.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds 3–many, oblong or reniform; hilum oblong, short, ± central, without appendages or with them somewhat developed.

Use

Used for human food as major pulse and vegetable crops; P. acutifolius A.Gray (tepary bean) , P. coccineus L. (scarlet runner bean) , P. lunatus L. (lima bean) , P. vulgaris L. (common or kidney bean) and the year bean, P. dumosus Macfad. (= P. polyanthus Greenm.) are cultivated; also used for fodder, green manure and as ornamentals