Phaseolus Vulgaris L. (Leguminosae)
An annual with two growing habits: one is a tall, late maturing climbing variety and the other is a short, early maturing bushy plant that does not need support. The pods are picked just before the seeds begin to swell, at which time they are tender and palatable. Leaves are trifoliate.
Origin
When Europeans first reached America, they found the American Indians cultivating the bean
along with maize, and the beans supplemented their maize diet. According to radio-carbon
analysis, remnants found at archaeological sites in the caves of Tehuacan valley in Mexico
are about 7 000 years old. The Spanish explorers are perhaps the first to bring them to
Europe in the sixteenth century.
The pods are cooked and eaten when immature. The dried mature seeds can be eaten as haricot beans. The Javanese are said to eat the leaves as a vegetable. The food value of P. vulgaris is high, comprising 20% proteins and at least 50% carbohydrates.