Edible: Pods, Seeds, Leaves, Vegetable
This bean has very many varieties and varies a lot in details. Both short and climbing cultivated varieties of this bean occur. It has a long taproot. Climbing forms can be 2-3 m tall. Bush types are 20-60 cm tall. The leaves are carried one after another along the stem and the leaves have 3 leaflets. The leaf stalk has a groove on the top. The side leaflets are asymmetrical in shape. The leaflets can be 8-15 cm by 5-10 cm. The flowers are in the axils of leaves and have few flowers in a loose form. Flowers are white to purple and pods smooth. Pods are slender and 8-20 cm long by 1-1.5 cm wide. The pods are straight or slightly curved and with a beak at the end. Pods often have 10-12 seeds which are kidney shaped and coloured. There are more than 500 cultivated varieties.
A temperate plant. It mostly grows from 700 m to 2000 m altitude in the tropics. In the lowlands it suffers from pest and disease but it can be grown to sea level. It is not suited to the wet tropics. It is shallow rooted and therefore damaged by excess moisture near the roots. About 350 mm of water is enough for a crop life cycle. It is sensitive to frost and to high temperatures. Flowers will not form below 9.5°C and night temperatures above 37°C cause flowers to drop. The best temperature is 15-21°C. It does not suit very acid soils. In Nepal it grows up to 1200 m altitude. It suits hardiness zones 8-11.
Common Names: Affi, Alatram, Asare simi, Ashlan bu'ul, Babri, Bakia, Bakla, Barigalu, Binisi, Black beans, Bonchi, Bo-sa-pe, Buli, Cannellini bean, Chiclayo, Ebihimba, Ebijanjaalo, Ebikanga, Ebisobooza, Ebisobyo, Ejote, Fagiolo, Fasiole, Feijao-preto, Frash bean, French bean, Frijol, Green bean, Habi cheulas, Haricot bean, Hto-pe-ton, Ingem mame, Ingen mame, Judia, Kacang buncis, Kachang bunchis, Kachang pendek, Kidney bean, Lobia, Mahalagi, Makasikila, Malemba, Marakwa, Mattu wanyambi, Mete-beir, Mulu fintsumu, Navy bean, Ngaingai, Ngor, Noviya, Nyemba, Phanasi, Pini, Pinto beans, Poroto, Po to sa, Pra-say-taut, Purutu, Rajama, Rajmah, Rajma sibi, Sanndaek barang, Shravanghevda, Snijboon, Stapu, Ta-la-pe, Te bin, Teiko, Thia khaek, Tingalavari, To-tok, Tsai douk, Tsaramaso, Turtle bean, Wamolo
Synonyms:
Phaseolus compressus DC.;
Phaseolus compressus var. carneus G. Martens;
Phaseolus compressus var. cervinus G. Martens;
Phaseolus compressus var. ferrugineus G. Martens;
Phaseolus ellipticus var. albus G. Martens;
Phaseolus ellipticus var. aureolus G. Martens;
Phaseolus ellipticus var. helvolus Savi;
Phaseolus ellipticus var. mesomelos Haberle;
Phaseolus ellipticus var. pictus Caval.;
Phaseolus ellipticus var. spadiceus G. Martens;
Phaseolus gonospermus var. oryzoides G. Martens;
Phaseolus gonospermus var. variegatus Savi;
Phaseolus nanus Linn.
Phaseolus oblongus var. albus G. Martens;
Phaseolus oblongus var. spadiceus Savi;
Phaseolus oblongus var. zebrinus G. Martens;
Phaseolus sphaericus var. atropurpureus G. Martens;
Phaseolus sphaericus var. minor G. Martens;
Phaseolus vulgaris var. albus Haberle;
Phaseolus vulgaris var. nanus G. Martens;
Phaseolus vulgaris var. niger G. Martens;
Phaseolus vulgaris var. ochraceus Savi;
Phaseolus vulgaris var. variegatus DC.;
Phaseolus zebra var. carneus G. Martens;
Phaseolus zebra var. purpurascens G. Martens;