Phaseolus lunatus L.

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

Morphology General Habit

Perennial or biennial climber, sometimes subshrubby, 1–4.5 m long.

Morphology Stem

Stems glabrous or pubescent.

Morphology Leaves Leaflets

Leaflets 3, 3–15 × 1.2–10 cm, the laterals oblique, ovate to lanceolate or narrowly rhombic, acute or acuminate, ± rounded at the base, sparsely pubescent or glabrous; petiole 1.5–19 cm long; rhachis 0.7–5 cm long; petiolules 3–5 mm long; stipules 2–3.5 mm long, ovate-lanceolate, persistent.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescences lax, few–several-flowered; rhachis 1–7 cm long; peduncle 1.5–30 cm long; pedicels 5–10 mm long; bracts persistent, 1.5 mm long, lanceolate; bracteoles persistent, 1.5–2 × 0.5–1 mm, elliptic or ovate, (1)3–7-nerved.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx puberulous; tube 1.5–2.5 mm long; lobes 5–8 mm long, broadly triangular, the upper pair joined to form an emarginate lip.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Standard white, yellowish-buff or pale rose, 5–7 × 5–8.5 mm, rounded or oblate-oblong, emarginate, sparsely pubescent or glabrous outside; keel 1–1.4 cm long, spirally incurved for 11/2 turns.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Pods (4.5)5–10.5(13) × 1.2–2.2(2.5) cm, oblong-falcate or oblong-oblanceolate, 3–4-seeded, compressed, apiculate at the apex, glabrous or pubescent.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds very variable in colour, mostly white or purple, 10–15 × 8–12 × 5–5.5 mm, reniform or rhomboid-reniform, compressed; hilum whitish, 2.5–4 mm long

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds Protein Content

20.40% Entire seed/nut. Moisture content not stated (Earle & Jones, 1962)

International Legume Database and Information Service

Conservation

Not Threatened

Ecology

Africa: Cultivated, Zambezian bushland and thicket, Sudanian bushland and thicket, Somalia-Masai bushland and thicket, Lake Victoria regional mosaic; bushland and thicket

Morphology General Habit

Annual/Perennial, Climbing/Not climbing, Herb/Shrub

Vernacular

Bakla, Bonchi, Bonchi-kai, Broad Bean, Butter Bean, Butter Beans, Caraota De Ano, Carolina Bean, Civet Bean, Common Bean, Common Haricot, Dambala, Dara-dambala, Dwarf Bean, Frash Bean, French Bean, Frijol, Frijol De Lima, Frijol De Media Luna, Frijol De M

Bernal, R., G. Galeano, A. Rodríguez, H. Sarmiento y M. Gutiérrez. 2017. Nombres Comunes de las Plantas de Colombia. http://www.biovirtual.unal.edu.co/nombrescomunes/

Vernacular

alverjo, arveja, bejuco de currucu, bejuco de jirigüelo, bejuco negro, blanco, cacha, cacha calentano, cacho, caratejo, carauta, carauta blanca, carauta silvestre, carcha, carcha rojo, carchas, carchita, carcho blanco, carcho rojo, carevaca, castillejo, escarcha, fonseca, frejol, fríjol, fríjol alverjo, fríjol arveja, fríjol bejuco de currucu, fríjol bejuco de jirigüelo, fríjol bejuco negro, fríjol blanco, fríjol cacha, fríjol cacha calentano, fríjol cachita, fríjol cacho, fríjol caratejo, fríjol carauta, fríjol carauta blanca, fríjol carauta silvestre, fríjol carcha, fríjol carcha rojo, fríjol carchas, fríjol carchita, fríjol carcho blanco, fríjol carcho rojo, fríjol carevaca, fríjol castillejo, fríjol de año, fríjol de año rojo, fríjol de cura, fríjol de monte, fríjol de vida, fríjol escarcha, fríjol fonseca, fríjol garbanzo, fríjol golondrinito, fríjol haba, fríjol habascundas, fríjol huevo de pájaro, fríjol huevo de pinche, fríjol jirigüelo, fríjol machete, fríjol malo, fríjol manizaleño, fríjol mataganado, fríjol panameño, fríjol panche, fríjol panchita, fríjol pancho, fríjol patiano, fríjol patiano tijerete, fríjol permanente, fríjol plancheto, fríjol platillo, fríjol ponchoalhombro, fríjol rojito, fríjol rojo, fríjol tabla, fríjol todoelaño, fríjol torta, fríjol torta blanco, fríjol torta guayabal, fríjol tortuga, fríjol yuquero, fríjol zaragoza, fríjol zaragoza amarillo, fríjol zaragoza de monte, frisol, frisol calentano, frisol de monte, garbanzo, golondrinito, haba, habascundas, huevo de pájaro, huevo de pinche, jirigüelo, machete, manizaleño, mataganado, panameño, panche, panchita, pancho, patiano, patiano tijerete, permanente, plancheto, platillo, ponchoalhombro, rojito, tabla, todoelaño, torta, torta blanco, torta guayabal, tortuga, yuquero, zaragocilla, zaragoza, zaragoza amarillo, zaragoza de monte

Seed Collecting Guide. RBG Kew (2013-2016)

Morphology General Habit

usually Perrenial, woody, climbing vines with fibrous to somewhat fleshy rootstock

Morphology Stem

stems pubescent or glabrous, 1-4.5 m long

Morphology Leaves Stipules

stipules triangular, persistent, 2-3.5 mm long

Morphology Leaves

leaflets 3, variable in shape, but usually somewhat triangular-ovate, 5-12 cm long by 3-9 cm wide, base rounded or cuneate, apex acute or acuminate

Morphology Leaves Petiole

petiole 1.5-2 cm long, rachis 0.7-5 cm long, petiolules 3-5 mm long. inflorescences axillary lax racemes, few-flowered, peduncle 1.5-30 cm long, rachis 1-7 cm long, bracts persistent, 1.5 mm long, bracteoles persistent, 1.5-2 mm long. calyx campanulate, 2-3 mm, pubescent

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

corolla white, yellowish, or pink; standard 5-10 mm long, apex emarginate; wings obovate; keel apex twisted for 1-2 turns

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Ovary

ovary pubescent

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

fruit pods oblong-falcate, 2-4-seeded, flattened, apex beaked

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

seeds variable in colour, usually white or purple, reniform to rhomboid, longest dimension 1-1.5 cm, hilum whitish, 2.5-4 mm long.

Ecology

grasslands, forests, cultivated areas. altitude0 - 2250 m

Distribution

Native to Tropical america, widely cultivated and naturalized throughout the rest of the tropics and subtropics.

Conservation

least concerned

Phenology

Flower (january – december), fruit (january - december)

Kew Species Profiles

General Description

Phaseolus lunatus is known for its edibles seeds which are enjoyed by millions of people throughout the world. Also known as butter bean on account of its creamy taste, lima bean adds flavour, protein and important minerals such as manganese and iron, to a wide variety of dishes. It is also highly valued for its medicinal properties.

Species Profile

Geography and distribution

Lima bean originated in the Neotropics and has two main centres of domestication. The small-seeded varieties were developed in Central America and the large-seeded types were cultivated in South America (mainly in Peru) as far back as 6,000 BC.

Following Columbus' 'discovery' of America, humans spread lima bean throughout the continent and it was subsequently introduced into Europe and Asia. Portuguese 'explorers' brought butter beans to Africa during the slave trade. Today lima bean is cultivated throughout the tropics.

Description

Overview: Phaseolus lunatus can either be an annual (completing its life-cycle in one year) or a  perennial (living for several years) herb. Some forms of the species are erect with trailing branches while others are climbing vines up to four and half metres long ( occasionally up to 8 metres). 

Roots: The roots can extend 2 metres into the soil and are either thin or swollen. 

Leaves: The leaves are arranged alternately along the main stems and each leaf is composed of three leaflets, with the terminal leaflet held away from the two opposite lateral leaflets (the whole leaf being referred to as pinnately trifoliolate). The petiole (leaf stalk) can be from 1.5 to 19 cm long. 

Flowers: The stalked flowers are clustered on small fleshy nodes along an unbranched axis (this a pseudoracemose inflorescence); the inflorescences are axillary (arising in the axilof the stem and the leaf petiole). The inflorescences are sometimes panicles, in which the main axis has several lateral branches. The flowers are white, pale green or rose-violet and papilionaceous (pea-flowered). Each flower has 10 stamens (male reproductive organs) 9 of which are fused into a partial tube or sheath and 1 free. The ovary (female reproductive organ) is about 3 mm long, and has a covering of minute hairs. The style has a terminal coil with a collar of hairs below the stigma (the female receptive organ where pollen is deposited by a visiting pollinator). 

Fruit : The fruit is an oblong pod, 5-13 cm long and bears up to 5 seeds. The seeds are kidney-shaped to subglobose (almost spherical), up to 11 mm long, white, green, yellow, brown, red, purple, black or variously speckled. 

Uses Food

In Africa, lima bean is grown mainly for its immature and dry seeds which are eaten boiled, fried or baked. In Nigeria, the seeds are commonly used in soups and stews, cooked together with maize, rice or yams. Some indigenous peoples, such as the Yoruba, process the seeds into porridge, puddings and cakes. The green, immature seeds, pods and leaves are eaten as a vegetable in Ghana and Malawi. Lima beans are cultivated on an industrial scale in the United States for canning and freezing. In many Asian countries the shoots and young plants are cooked and eaten. The leaves and stems of butter bean may be turned into hay or silage.

Medicinal

The plant has many medicinal uses. In Senegal and the Democratic republic of Congo the juice from the leaves is used in nasal instillations against headache and as eardrops. In Nigeria the seeds are pulverised and rubbed into small cuts or onto tumours and abscesses to encourage the discharge of pus. The seeds and leaves of butter bean are valued in traditional Asian medicine for their astringent properties and they are used as a diet to relieve fever.

Other uses

The seeds of lima bean are sometimes used to feed livestock, but there is a risk of hydrogen cyanide poisoning if used raw. The ability of lima bean to fix nitrogen from the air by way of bacteria housed in root nodules makes it a good soil fertiliser. For this reason it is often grown as a  cover crop and for green manure.

Crop wild relatives of lima bean

The Millennium Seed Bank and the Global Crop Diversity Trust are engaged in a ten-year project, called 'Adapting Agriculture to Climate Change'. The project aims to protect, collect and prepare the wild relatives of 29 key food crops, including lima bean, so that they are available to pre-breeders for the development of new varieties that are more resilient to the effects of climate change.

Millennium Seed Bank: Seed storage

The  Millennium Seed Bank Partnership aims to save plants worldwide, focusing on those plants which are under threat and those which are of most use in the future. Once seeds have been collected they are dried, packaged and stored at -20°C in Kew's Millennium Seed Bank vault.

Description of seeds:  Average weight of 1,000 seeds = 571.0 g

Number of seed collections stored in the Millennium Seed Bank:  One

Seed storage behaviour:  Orthodox (the seeds of this plant can be dried to a low moisture content without significantly reducing their viability. This means they are suitable for long-term frozen storage)

Germination testing:  Successful

This species at Kew

Pressed and dried specimens of Phaseolus lunatus  are held in Kew's Herbarium, where they are available to researchers by appointment. Details and images of some of these specimens can be seen online in Kew's Herbarium Catalogue.

Distribution

Peru

Ecology

Lima bean can be grown in a wide range of ecological conditions but is particularly suited to low-altitude humid and sub-humid climates,as well as warm temperate zones and arid and semi-arid tropical regions.

Conservation

Widespread in cultivation.

Hazards

Lima beans contain high levels of a cyanide compound and should not be eaten raw. The toxic cyanide compound is deactivated upon cooking.

Distribution

Biogeografic region: Amazonia, Andean. Elevation range: 150–1875 m a.s.l. Native to Colombia. Colombian departments: Antioquia, Boyacá, Caldas, Chocó, Cundinamarca, Guainía, Huila, Magdalena, Quindío, Valle del Cauca.

Habit

Climbing.

Conservation

IUCN Red List Assessment (2021): LC.

Ecology

Habitat according IUCN Habitats Classification: forest and woodland, savanna, shrubland, native grassland, artificial - terrestrial.

Vernacular

Fríjol, Fríjol de luna, Fríjol palomita, Fríjol zaragoza, Haba lima, Judía de lima, Pallar

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

Morphology General Habit

Perennial or biennial climber or sometimes subshrubby, 1–4·5 m. long.

Morphology Stem

Stems glabrous or pubescent.

Morphology Leaves

Leaflets 3, the laterals oblique, ovate to lanceolate or narrowly rhombic, 3–15 cm. long, 1·2–10 cm. wide, acute or acuminate, ± rounded at the base, sparsely pubescent or glabrous; petiole 1·5–19 cm. long; rhachis 0·7–5 cm. long; petiolules 3–5 mm. long; stipules ovate-lanceolate, persistent, 2–3·5 mm. long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescences lax, few–several-flowered; rhachis 1–7 cm. long; peduncle 1·5–30 cm. long; pedicels 5–10 mm. long; bracts persistent, lanceolate, 1·5 mm. long; bracteoles persistent, elliptic or ovate, 1·5–2 mm. long, 0·5–1 mm. wide, (1–)3–7-nerved.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx puberulous; tube 1·5–2·5 mm. long; lobes broadly triangular, 5–8 mm. long, the upper pair joined to form an emarginate lip.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Standard white, yellowish-buff or pale rose, rounded or oblate-oblong, 5–7 mm. long, 5–8·5 mm. wide, emarginate, sparsely pubescent or glabrous outside; keel 1–1·4 cm. long, spirally incurved for 11/2 turns.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Pods oblong-falcate or oblong-oblanceolate, 3–4-seeded, (4·5–)5–10·5(–13) cm. long, 1·2–2·2(–2·5) cm. wide, compressed, apiculate at the apex, glabrous or pubescent.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds very variable in colour, mostly white or purple, reniform or rhomboid-reniform, compressed, longest dimension 1–1·5 cm., shorter dimension 0·8–1·2 cm., 5–5·5 mm. thick; hilum whitish, 2·5–4 mm. long.

Figures

Fig. 95, p. 616.

Habitat

Grassland, thicket; 0–2250 m.

Distribution

a native of tropical America now widely cultivated throughout tropical Africa and the rest of the tropicsnow also frequently naturalized and found in quite wild habitats K7 T1 T2 T3 T4 T6 T7 U1 U2 U4

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation

Predicted extinction risk: not threatened. Confidence: confident

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/71776946/71776949

Conservation

LC - least concern

Bernal, R., Gradstein, S.R. & Celis, M. (eds.). 2015. Catálogo de plantas y líquenes de Colombia. Instituto de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá. http://catalogoplantasdecolombia.unal.edu.co

Distribution

Nativa en Colombia; Alt. 150 - 1875 m.; Amazonia, Andes, Valle del Magdalena.

Morphology General Habit

Trepadora

Conservation

No Evaluada

The Useful Plants of Boyacá project

Morphology General Habit

Climbing plant.

Ecology

Alt. 150 - 1875 m.

Distribution

Native from Colombia.

Use

Food, fodder, medicine, cover crop.

Use Animal Food

Used as animal food.

Use Environmental

Environmental uses.

Use Gene Sources

Used as gene sources.

Use Food

Used for food.

Use Medicines

Medical uses.

Use Poisons

Poisons.

Use Food

Seeds - edible (Pradilla et al. 2013).

Use Gene Sources

Crop wild relatives which may possess beneficial traits of value in breeding programmes (State of the World's Plants 2016).

Use Medicines Unspecified Medicinal Disorders

Medicinal (Instituto Humboldt 2014).