Phaseolus (bean, wild bean) is a genus of herbaceous to woody annual and perennial vines in the family Fabaceae containing about 70 plant species, all native to the Americas, primarily Mesoamerica.

It is one of the most economically important legume genera. Five of the species have been domesticated since pre-Columbian times for their beans: P. acutifolius (tepary bean), P. coccineus (runner bean), P. dumosus (year bean), P. lunatus (lima bean), and P. vulgaris (common bean).[5][6] Most prominent among these is the common bean, P. vulgaris, which today is cultivated worldwide in tropical, semitropical, and temperate climates.

Phaseolus vulgaris L.
First published in Sp. Pl.: 723 (1753)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Mexico to Central America. It is a scrambling annual and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome. It is used as animal food, a poison and a medicine, has environmental uses and for food.

Homotypic Synonyms

Phaseolus esculentus Salisb. in Prodr. Stirp. Chap. Allerton: 335 (1796), nom. superfl.

Heterotypic Synonyms

Phaseolus aborigineus Burkart in Legum. Argent., ed. 2: 546 (1952)
Phaseolus aborigineus var. hondurensis Burkart in Legum. Argent., ed. 2: 545 (1952)
Phaseolus albus Hoffmanns. in Preiss-Verzeichn. Pflanzen. 10(Nachtr.): 81 (1842)
Phaseolus angulosus Schübl. & G.Martens in G.M.von Martens, Gartenbohnen: 47 (1859), nom. illeg.
Phaseolus asparagioides Schur in Enum. Pl. Transsilv.: 177 (1866)
Phaseolus capensis Schur in Enum. Pl. Transsilv.: 177 (1866), nom. illeg.
Phaseolus carinatus G.Martens in Gartenbohnen: 49 (1859)
Phaseolus carinatus var. carneus G.Martens in Gartenbohnen: 50 (1859)
Phaseolus carinatus var. lividus G.Martens in Gartenbohnen: 49 (1859)
Phaseolus ceratonoides Schrank ex G.Martens in Gartenbohnen: 41 (1859)
Phaseolus communis Pritz. in Icon. Bot. Index: 832 (1855)
Phaseolus compressus DC. in Prodr. 2: 392 (1825)
Phaseolus compressus var. candidus Haberle ex G.Martens in Gartenbohnen: 41 (1859)
Phaseolus compressus var. carneus G.Martens in Gartenbohnen: 39 (1859)
Phaseolus compressus var. cervinus G.Martens in Gartenbohnen: 39 (1859)
Phaseolus compressus var. ferrugineus G.Martens in Gartenbohnen: 40 (1859)
Phaseolus compressus var. flavomaculatus G.Martens in Gartenbohnen: 44 (1859)
Phaseolus compressus var. fulvoater G.Martens in Gartenbohnen: 44 (1859)
Phaseolus compressus var. fuscocoerulescens G.Martens in Gartenbohnen: 45 (1859)
Phaseolus compressus var. fuscomaculatus G.Martens in Gartenbohnen: 44 (1859)
Phaseolus compressus var. humilis DC. in Prodr. 2: 392 (1825)
Phaseolus compressus var. lividus G.Martens in Gartenbohnen: 40 (1859)
Phaseolus compressus var. luteus G.Martens in Gartenbohnen: 40 (1859)
Phaseolus compressus var. macrocarpus G.Martens in Gartenbohnen: 43 (1859)
Phaseolus compressus var. major DC. in Prodr. 2: 393 (1825), not validly publ.
Phaseolus compressus var. nanus (L.) Lej. in A.L.S.Lejeune & R.J.Courtois, Comp. Fl. Belg. 3: 77 (1836)
Phaseolus compressus var. niger G.Martens in Gartenbohnen: 39 (1859)
Phaseolus compressus var. ochraceus G.Martens in Gartenbohnen: 45 (1859)
Phaseolus compressus var. pullus G.Martens in Gartenbohnen: 39 (1859)
Phaseolus compressus var. xanthocarpus G.Martens in Gartenbohnen: 42 (1859)
Phaseolus cruentus Schur in Enum. Pl. Transsilv.: 177 (1866)
Phaseolus curda Pall. ex G.Martens in Gartenbohnen: 28 (1859)
Phaseolus deliciosus C.Huber in Nursery Cat. (Charles Huber Bros. and Co.) 1864(Cat. Print.): 4 (1864)
Phaseolus dimidiatus Haberle ex Schübl. & Mart. in Fl. Würtemberg: 472 (1834)
Phaseolus domingensis Zuccagni in Cent. Observ. Pl. 1: 38 (1806)
Phaseolus ellipticus G.Martens in Gartenbohnen: 60 (1859)
Phaseolus ellipticus var. albus G.Martens in Gartenbohnen: 65 (1859)
Phaseolus ellipticus var. amethystinus G.Martens in Gartenbohnen: 62 (1859)
Phaseolus ellipticus var. atrofuscus G.Martens in Gartenbohnen: 61 (1859)
Phaseolus ellipticus var. aureolus G.Martens in Gartenbohnen: t. 3 (1859)
Phaseolus ellipticus var. aureus G.Martens in Gartenbohnen: 64 (1859)
Phaseolus ellipticus var. bocconei G.Martens in Gartenbohnen: 67 (1859)
Phaseolus ellipticus var. carneus G.Martens in Gartenbohnen: 63 (1859)
Phaseolus ellipticus var. citrinus G.Martens in Gartenbohnen: 63 (1859)
Phaseolus ellipticus var. fasciatus G.Martens in Gartenbohnen: 68 (1859)
Phaseolus ellipticus var. helvolus (Savi) G.Martens in Gartenbohnen: 62 (1859)
Phaseolus ellipticus var. mesomelas G.Martens in Gartenbohnen: 69 (1859)
Phaseolus ellipticus var. nanus G.Martens in Gartenbohnen: 68 (1859)
Phaseolus ellipticus var. niger G.Martens in Gartenbohnen: 61 (1859)
Phaseolus ellipticus var. pictus G.Martens in Gartenbohnen: 67 (1859)
Phaseolus ellipticus var. saccharatus (Moench) G.Martens in Gartenbohnen: 66 (1859)
Phaseolus ellipticus var. spadiceus G.Martens in Gartenbohnen: 62 (1859)
Phaseolus ellipticus var. willmotianus G.Martens in Gartenbohnen: 64 (1859)
Phaseolus ferrugineus Salzwed. ex Medik. in Bot. Beob. 1783: 213 (1784)
Phaseolus gonospermos Savi in Nuovo Giorn. Lett., Sci. 10: 41 (1825)
Phaseolus gonospermos var. albus Savi in Nuovo Giorn. Lett., Sci. 10: 42 (1825)
Phaseolus gonospermos var. carneolutescens Savi in Nuovo Giorn. Lett., Sci. 10: 42 (1825)
Phaseolus gonospermos var. castaneus Savi in Nuovo Giorn. Lett., Sci. 10: 42 (1825)
Phaseolus gonospermos var. lividus Haberle ex G.Martens in Gartenbohnen: 47 (1859)
Phaseolus gonospermos var. ochraceus Haberle ex G.Martens in Gartenbohnen: 47 (1859)
Phaseolus gonospermos var. oryzoides G.Martens in Gartenbohnen: 48 (1859)
Phaseolus gonospermos var. pullus G.Martens in Gartenbohnen: 47 (1859)
Phaseolus gonospermos var. purpureus G.Martens in Gartenbohnen: 45 (1859)
Phaseolus gonospermos var. variegatus Savi in Nuovo Giorn. Lett., Sci. 10: 42 (1825)
Phaseolus gonospermus Savi in Bull. Sci. Nat. Géol. 6: 81 (1825), orth. var.
Phaseolus haematocarpus Savi in Nuovo Giorn. Lett., Sci. 10: 40 (1825)
Phaseolus ionocarpus Fingerh. in Linnaea 10: 8 (1835)
Phaseolus lilac Zuccagni in Cent. Observ. Pl. 1: 36 (1806)
Phaseolus lilacinus Zuccagni in J.J.Roemer, Collecteana: 148 (1806)
Phaseolus lupinoides Fingerh. in Linnaea 10: 24 (1835)
Phaseolus melanospermus Fingerh. in Linnaea 10: 8 (1835)
Phaseolus mesoleucus Schrank ex Link in Enum. Hort. Berol. Alt. 2: 232 (1822)
Phaseolus mexicanus Mart. in C.F.P.von Martius & F.von P. Schrank, Hort. Reg. Monac.: 185 (1829)
Phaseolus multiflorus Willd. in Sp. Pl., ed. 4. 3: 1030 (1802), nom. illeg.
Phaseolus nanus L. in Cent. Pl. I: 23 (1755)
Phaseolus nigerrimus Juss. ex Zuccagni in Cent. Observ. Pl. 1: 37 (1806)
Phaseolus nigricans Haberle ex G.Martens in Gartenbohnen: 47 (1859)
Phaseolus oblongus Savi in Nuovo Giorn. Lett., Sci. 10: 38 (1825)
Phaseolus oblongus var. abbreviatus G.Martens in Gartenbohnen: 55 (1859)
Phaseolus oblongus var. alboruber Savi in Nuovo Giorn. Lett., Sci. 10: 38 (1825)
Phaseolus oblongus var. albus G.Martens in Gartenbohnen: 53 (1859)
Phaseolus oblongus var. atrofasciatus G.Martens in Gartenbohnen: 58 (1859)
Phaseolus oblongus var. carneoflavescens G.Martens in Gartenbohnen: 52 (1859)
Phaseolus oblongus var. carneus Savi in Nuovo Giorn. Lett., Sci. 10: 38 (1825)
Phaseolus oblongus var. castaneovariegatus Savi in Nuovo Giorn. Lett., Sci. 10: 39 (1825)
Phaseolus oblongus var. cruentus G.Martens in Gartenbohnen: 58 (1859)
Phaseolus oblongus var. laudunensis G.Martens in Gartenbohnen: 54 (1859)
Phaseolus oblongus var. leucovariegatus G.Martens in Gartenbohnen: 58 (1859)
Phaseolus oblongus var. luteus G.Martens in Gartenbohnen: 53 (1859)
Phaseolus oblongus var. ochraceus G.Martens in Gartenbohnen: 53 (1859)
Phaseolus oblongus var. purpureovariegatus G.Martens in Gartenbohnen: 56 (1859)
Phaseolus oblongus var. purpureus G.Martens in Gartenbohnen: 50 (1859)
Phaseolus oblongus var. rachelianus G.Martens in Gartenbohnen: 59 (1859)
Phaseolus oblongus var. saponaceus (Savi) G.Martens in Gartenbohnen: 59 (1859)
Phaseolus oblongus var. sargentone Savi in Nuovo Giorn. Lett., Sci. 10: 38 (1825)
Phaseolus oblongus var. spadiceus Savi in Nuovo Giorn. Lett., Sci. 10: 38 (1825)
Phaseolus oblongus var. tricolor G.Martens in Gartenbohnen: 58 (1859)
Phaseolus oblongus var. truncatus G.Martens in Gartenbohnen: 52 (1859)
Phaseolus oblongus var. turcicus Savi in Nuovo Giorn. Lett., Sci. 10: 39 (1825)
Phaseolus oblongus var. vinosus G.Martens in Gartenbohnen: 51 (1859)
Phaseolus oblongus var. zebrinus G.Martens in Gartenbohnen: 57 (1859)
Phaseolus ovalispermus Fingerh. in Linnaea

POWO follows these authorities in accepting this name:

Baksh-Comeau, Y., Maharaj, S.S., Adams, C.D., Harris, S.A., Filer, D.L. & Hawthorne, W.D. (2016). An annotated checklist of the vascular plants of Trinidad and Tobago with analysis of vegetation types and botanical 'hotspots'. Phytotaxa 250: 1-431.
Barthelat, F. (2019). La flore illustrée de Mayotte: 1-687. Biotope éditions.
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Gosline, G., Bidault, E., van der Burgt, X., Cahen, D., Challen, G., Condé, N., Couch, C., Couvreur, T.L.P., Dagallier, L.M.J., Darbyshire, I., Dawson, S., Doré, T.S., Goyder, D., Grall, A., Haba, P., Haba, P., Harris, D., Hind, D.J.N., Jongkind, & al. (2023). A Taxonomically-verified and Vouchered Checklist of the Vascular Plants of the Republic of Guinea. Nature, scientific data 10, Article number: 327: [1]-[12].
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Kew Species Profiles

Beentje, H. (2010). The Kew Plant Glossary: an Illustrated Dictionary of Plant Terms. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
Brink, M. & Belay, G. (2006). Cereals and Pulses: Volume 1 of Plant Resources of Tropical Africa. PROTA.
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Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (2008). Seed Information Database (SID). Version 7.1.
Szyndler, M.W., Haynes, K.F., Potter, M.F., Corn, R.M., Loudon, C. (2013). Entrapment of bed bugs by leaf trichomes inspires microfabrication of biomimetic surfaces. Journal of The Royal Society Interface 10 (83).

Catálogo de Plantas y Líquenes de Colombia

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

Kew Backbone Distributions

Acevedo-Rodríguez, P. & Strong, M.T. (2012). Catalogue of seed plants of the West Indies. Smithsonian Contributions to Botany 98: 1-1192.
Baksh-Comeau, Y., Maharaj, S.S., Adams, C.D., Harris, S.A., Filer, D.L. & Hawthorne, W.D. (2016). An annotated checklist of the vascular plants of Trinidad and