? Common bean
Varieties of the common bean
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae Division: Magnoliophyta Class: Magnoliopsida Order: Fabales Family: Fabaceae Subfamily: Faboideae Tribe: Phaseoleae Genus: Phaseolus Species: vulgaris
Binomial name
Phaseolus vulgaris L.

The common bean is an herbaceous annual plant domesticated independently in ancient Mesoamerica and the Andes, and now grown worldwide for its edible bean, popular both dry and as a green bean. The leaf is occasionally used as a leaf vegetable, and the straw is used for fodder. Image File history File links http://www. ... Scientific classification or biological classification is how biologists group and categorize extinct and living species of organisms. ... Divisions Land plants (embryophytes) Non-vascular plants (bryophytes) Hepatophyta - liverworts Anthocerophyta - hornworts Bryophyta - mosses Vascular plants (tracheophytes) Lycopodiophyta - clubmosses Equisetophyta - horsetails Pteridophyta - true ferns Psilotophyta - whisk ferns Ophioglossophyta - adderstongues Seed plants (spermatophytes) †Pteridospermatophyta - seed ferns Pinophyta - conifers Cycadophyta - cycads Ginkgophyta - ginkgo Gnetophyta - gnetae Magnoliophyta - flowering plants Adiantum pedatum (a fern... Classes Magnoliopsida - Dicots Liliopsida - Monocots The flowering plants (also angiosperms or Magnoliophyta) are one of the major groups of modern plants, comprising those that produce seeds in specialized reproductive organs called flowers, where the ovulary or carpel is enclosed. ... Orders see text Dicotyledons or dicots are flowering plants whose seed contains two embryonic leaves or cotyledons. ... Families Fabaceae (legumes) Quillajaceae Polygalaceae (milkwort family) Surianaceae The Fabales are an order of flowering plants, included in the rosid group of dicotyledons. ... Subfamilies Faboideae Caesalpinioideae Mimosoideae References GRIN-CA 2002-09-01 The name Fabaceae belongs to either of two families, depending on viewpoint. ... Genera See text The Subfamily Faboideae is in the flowering plant family, Fabaceae. ... Genera include: Canavalia Lablab Macrotyloma Phaseolus Psophocarpus Vigna The tribe Phaseoleae is one of the subdivisions of the plant family Fabaceae, which includes the legumes. ... Species Phaseolus acutifolius Tepary bean Phaseolus amblyosepalus Phaseolus angustissimus Phaseolus anisotrichos Phaseolus augustii Phaseolus brevicalyx Phaseolus chacoensis Phaseolus cibellii Phaseolus coccineus - Runner bean Phaseolus filiformis Phaseolus galactoides Phaseolus glabellus Phaseolus grayanus Phaseolus latidenticulatus Phaseolus leucanthus Phaseolus lunatus - Lima bean Phaseolus massaiensis Phaseolus micranthus Phaseolus microcarpus Phaseolus nelsonii Phaseolus oaxacanus Phaseolus... In biology, binomial nomenclature is a standard convention used for naming species. ... Carolus Linnaeus Carolus Linnaeus (May 23, 1707 – January 10, 1778), also known by his noble title Carl von Linné   listen?, was a Swedish naturalist who laid the foundations for binary nomenclature. ... A herb (pronounced urb in American English and hurb in most varieties of Commonwealth English) is a plant grown for culinary, medicinal, or in some cases even spiritual value. ... An annual is a plant that usually germinates, flowers and dies in one year. ... Mesoamerica is the region extending from central Mexico south to the northwestern border of Costa Rica that gave rise to a group of stratified, culturally related agrarian civilizations spanning an approximately 3,000-year period before the African discovery of the New World by Columbus. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... Green beans Bean is a common name for large plant seeds of several genera of Fabaceae (formerly Leguminosae) used for food or feed. ... Headline text BEAN - name applied to the seeds of leguminous trees and shrubs and to various leguminous plants of the family Leguminosae (pulse family) with edible seeds or seed pods (legumes). ... In botany, a leaf is an above-ground plant organ specialized for photosynthesis. ... Chinese cabbage Swiss chard Leaf vegetables, also called greens or leafy greens, are plant leaves eaten as a vegetable, sometimes accompanied by tender petioles and shoots. ... Straw is the dry stalk of a cereal plant, after the nutrient grain or seed has been removed. ... In agriculture, fodder or animal feed is any foodstuff that is used specifically to feed livestock, such as cattle, sheep, chickens and pigs. ...

Description

The common bean is a highly variable species. Bush varieties form erect bushes 20-60 cm tall, while pole or running varieties form vines 2-3 m long. All varieties bear alternate, green or purple leaves, divided into three oval, smooth-edged leaflets, each 6-15 cm long and 3-11 cm wide. The white, pink, or purple flowers are about 1 cm long, and give way to pods 8-20 cm long, 1-1.5 cm wide, green, yellow, black or purple in color, each containing 4-6 beans. The beans are smooth, plump, kidney-shaped, upto 1.5 cm long, range widely in color, and are often mottled in two or more colors. The term vine was originally a term for the plant on which grapes grew, from the word for wine (Greek oinos), for which grapes were grown. ... In botany, a leaf is an above-ground plant organ specialized for photosynthesis. ... Wildflowers A flower is the reproductive organ of those plants classified as angiosperms (flowering plants; Division Magnoliophyta). ...

Nutrition and preparation

Before they are eaten, the raw beans must be boiled for at least ten minutes to degrade a toxic compound - the lectin phytohaemagglutinin - found in the bean which would otherwise cause severe gastric upset. This compound is present in many varieties (and in some other species of bean), but is especially concentrated in red kidney beans. Although in the case of dry beans the ten minutes required to degrade the toxin is much shorter than the hours required to fully cook the beans themselves, outbreaks of poisoning have been associated with the use of slow cookers whose low cooking temperatures may be unable to degrade the toxin. A toxin, in a scientific context, is a biologically produced substance that causes injury to the health of a living thing on contact or absorption, typically by interacting with biological macromolecules such as enzymes and receptors. ... Lectins are proteins of non-immune origin that specifically interact with sugar molecules (carbohydrates) without modifying them. ... Phytohaemagglutinin (PHA, or phytohemagglutinin) is a lectin found in plants, especially beans, in the highest concentrations in the red kidney bean (Phaseolus vulgaris). ... A slow cooker. ...

Dry beans

Similarly to other beans, the common bean is high in starch, protein and dietary fiber and an excellent source of iron, potassium, selenium, molybdenum, thiamine, vitamin B6, and folate. Starch is a complex carbohydrate which is insoluble in water. ... A representation of the 3D structure of myoglobin, showing coloured alpha helices. ... Dietary fibers are long-chain carbohydrates (polysaccharides) that are indigestible by the human digestive tract. ... General Name, Symbol, Number iron, Fe, 26 Chemical series transition metals Group, Period, Block 8, 4, d Appearance lustrous metallic with a grayish tinge Atomic mass 55. ... General Name, Symbol, Number potassium, K, 19 Chemical series alkali metals Group, Period, Block 1, 4, s Appearance silvery white Atomic mass 39. ... General Name, Symbol, Number selenium, Se, 34 Chemical series nonmetals Group, Period, Block 16, 4, p Appearance gray, metallic luster Atomic mass 78. ... General Name, Symbol, Number molybdenum, Mo, 42 Chemical series transition metals Group, Period, Block 6, 5, d Appearance gray metallic Atomic mass 95. ... Thiamine mononitrate Thiamine or thiamin, also known as vitamin B1, is a colorless compound with chemical formula C12H17ClN4OS. It is soluble in water and insoluble in alcohol. ... The two major forms of vitamin B6 are pyridoxine and pyridoxamine. ... Folic acid (the anion form is called folate) is a B-complex vitamin (once called vitamin M) that is important in preventing neural tube defects (NTDs) in the developing human fetus. ...

Dry beans will keep indefinitely if stored in a cool, dry place, but as time passes nutritive value and flavor degrade, and cooking times lengthen. Dried beans are almost always cooked by boiling, often after having been soaked for several hours. While the soaking step is not necessary, it shortens cooking time somewhat and tends to result in a more evenly textured pot of beans, and is therefore recommended. Common beans take longer to cook than most pulses: cooking times vary from one to four hours. Nutrition is the study of the relationship between diet and states of health and disease. ... Flavor (AmE) or flavour (CwE) is the sensory impression of a food or other substance. ... Boiling is the rapid vaporization of a liquid, which typically occurs when a liquid is heated to a temperature such that its vapor pressure is above that of the surroundings. ... The Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations (FAO) defines pulses as annual leguminous crops yielding from one to twelve grains or seeds of variable size, shape and color within a pod. ...

Dry beans may be also be bought pre-cooked and canned as refried beans, or whole with water, salt, and sometimes sugar. Canning is a method of preserving food by first heating it to a temperature that destroys contaminating micro-organisms, and then sealing it in air-tight jars or cans. ... Refried beans (frijoles refritos) are a Mexican dish of cooked beans, either black o pinto beans that are reheated in oil, traditionally lard but recently vegetable oil. ... Water (from the Old English word wæter; c. ... Edible salt is a mineral, one of the few rocks people eat. ... A sugar is a carbohydrate which is sweet to taste. ...

Green beans

Green common beans are also called string beans, stringless beans (depending on whether the pod has a tough, fibrous "string" running along its length), or snap beans. Compared to the dry beans, they provide less starch and protein, and more vitamin A, vitamin C, and calcium. Retinol, the dietary form of vitamin A, is a fat-soluble, antioxidant vitamin important in vision and bone growth. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Ascorbic acid. ... General Name, Symbol, Number calcium, Ca, 20 Chemical series alkaline earth metals Group, Period, Block 2, 4, s Appearance silvery white Atomic mass 40. ...

The green beans are often steamed, stir-fried, or baked in casseroles. Steaming is cooking by steam. ... Stir frying is a common Chinese cooking technique used because of its fast cooking speed. ... Wikibooks Cookbook has more about this subject: Baking Baking is the technique of cooking food in an oven by dry heat applied evenly throughout the oven. ... In cooking, a casserole (from the French for stew pan) is a dish consisting of tough cuts of meat, poultry or game stewed in liquid with vegetables and flavourings. ...

Shelling beans

As with other beans, prominently among them lima beans, soybeans, peas, and fava beans, common beans can be used for fresh shell beans, also called shelling beans, which are fully mature beans harvested from the pod before they have begun to dry. Binomial name Phaseolus lunatus L. The Lima bean or butter bean (Phaseolus lunatus, Fabaceae) is grown as a vegetable for its mature and immature beans. ... Binomial name Glycine max Merr. ... Binomial name Pisum sativum L. A pea is the small, edible round green bean which grows in a pod on the leguminous vine Pisum sativum. ... Binomial name Vicia faba L. Vicia faba, the Broad Bean, Fava Bean, Faba Bean, Horse Bean, Field Bean or Tic Bean is a species of bean ( Fabaceae) native to north Africa and southwest Asia, and extensively cultivated elsewhere. ...

Nutritionally, shell beans are similar to dry beans, but in the kitchen are treated as a vegetable, often steamed, fried, or made into soups.

Popping beans

The nuña is an Andean subspecies, Phaseolus vulgaris subsp. nunas (formerly Phaseolus vulgaris (Nuñas Group)), with round multicolored seeds looking like pigeon eggs. When cooked on high heat the bean explodes, exposing the inner part, in the manner of popcorn and other puffed grains. Popped kernels Popcorn or popping corn is a type of maize which puffs up when it is heated in oil or by dry heat. ... A process developed by Dr. Alexander P. Anderson of New York City in 1902. ...

Varieties

Many well-known bean varieties belong to this species, and none of the lists below is in any way exhaustive. Both bush and running (pole) varieties exist. The colors and shape of pods and seeds vary tremendously.

Green beans

Varieties specialized for use as green beans, selected for the succulence and flavor of their pods, are the ones usually grown in the home vegetable garden, and a myriad of varieties exist. Pod colour can be green, golden, purple, red, or streaked. Shapes range from thin 'fillet' types to wide 'romano' types and more common types in between. Headline text BEAN - name applied to the seeds of leguminous trees and shrubs and to various leguminous plants of the family Leguminosae (pulse family) with edible seeds or seed pods (legumes). ...

• Blue Lake (green)
• Golden Wax (golden)
• Purple King (purple)
• Dragon's Tongue (streaked)
• Red Swan (red)

Pinto bean

Pinto beans

The pinto bean (Spanish: frijol pinto) is named for its mottled skin (compare pinto horse). A closeup look at Burke, the latest pinto bean from ARS and university plant scientists. ... A closeup look at Burke, the latest pinto bean from ARS and university plant scientists. ... The American Paint Horse is an American breed of horse which is a specific type of stock-horse. ...

It is the most common bean in the United States [1] and northwestern Mexico [2], and is most often eaten whole in broth or mashed and refried. Either whole or mashed, it is a common filling for burritos. Refried beans (frijoles refritos) are a Mexican dish of cooked beans, either black o pinto beans that are reheated in oil, traditionally lard but recently vegetable oil. ... An unusually large burrito. ...

In the Southwest United States, the pinto bean is an important symbol of regional identity, especially among Mexican Americans. Along with the chile, it is one of the official state vegetables of New Mexico (under the name frijol). The Southwest region of the United States is drier than the adjoining Midwest in weather; the population is less dense and, with strong Spanish-American and Native American components, more ethnically varied than neighboring areas. ... The ethnonym Mexican-American describes United States citizens of Mexican ancestry (14 million in 2003) and Mexican citizens who reside in the US (10 million in 2003). ... State nickname: Land of Enchantment Other U.S. States Capital Santa Fe Largest city Albuquerque Governor Bill Richardson Official languages English and Spanish Area 315,194 km² (5th)  - Land 314,590 km²  - Water 607 km² (0. ...

Pinto bean varieties include:

• Sierra
• Burke
• Othello
• Maverick

Flageolet bean

The light green flageolet bean is taken very seriously in France and soon the heirloom Chevrier will come under a controlled label reminiscent of the wine "Appellation d'Origine Controllée" called "Label Rouge". A number of other beans are already produced under this label.

Flageolet bean varieties include:

• Chevrier (the original heirloom)
• Elsa
• Flambeau
• Flamingo

Navy bean

The small, white navy bean, also called pea bean or haricot, is popular in France, and traditionally the main bean of Anglo-America, used in such dishes as Boston baked beans. The term Anglo-America is used to describe those parts of North America in which English is the main language. ... Alternative meanings: Boston (disambiguation) The 18th-century Old State House in Boston is surrounded by tall buildings of the 19th and 20th centuries. ... Baked beans on scrambled egg on toast. ...

Navy bean varieties include:

• Robust
• Rainy River
• Michelite
• Sanilac

Kidney bean

Kidney beans

The kidney bean with its dark red skin is named for its visual resemblance to a kidney. The kidney bean is also known as the red bean, although this usage can cause confusion with other red beans. Kidney beans are used in the red beans and rice of Louisiana Creole cuisine Dry kidney beans http://www. ... Dry kidney beans http://www. ... Kidneys viewed from behind with spine removed The kidneys are bean-shaped excretory organs in vertebrates. ... Red bean can mean: The azuki bean, a Vigna bean used in the red bean paste of Chinese cuisine and Japanese cuisine The rice bean The kidney bean, a variety of the common bean used in the red beans and rice of Louisiana Creole cuisine Any of various other red... Red beans and rice is an emblematic dish of Louisiana Creole cuisine (and not of Cajun cuisine), traditionally made on Mondays with red beans, rice, spices, and pork bones left over from Sunday dinner. ... Louisiana Creole cuisine is a style of cooking originating in Louisiana (centered on the Greater New Orleans area) that blends French, Spanish, and American influences. ...

Kidney bean varieties include:

• Montcalm
• Wells Red
• Geneva
• New York
• True Cranberry (old VT heirloom with a more round shape like a cranberry)

Black turtle bean

The small, shiny black turtle bean is especially popular in Latin American cuisine. It is often called simply the black bean, although this can cause confusion with other black beans. See the individual entries for: Argentine cuisine Brazilian cuisine Mexican cuisine South American cuisine . ... Black bean can mean: The black turtle bean, a small, black variety of the common bean especially popular in Latin American cuisine Douchi, a kind of fermented soybean especially popular in the cuisine of China The black gram Any black-colored variety of bean; beans which include black-colored varieties...

The black turtle bean has a dense, meaty texture and flavor reminiscent of mushrooms. (To this we may attribute its popularity in vegetarian dishes, most notably the Mexican-American black bean burrito.) It is considered the national bean of Brazil, where it is used in the national dish, feijoada completa. It is also a principal ingredient of moros y cristianos, served elsewhere in Latin America. Meat is animal tissue (mainly muscle) used as food. ... Basidiocarps (mushrooms) of the fungus Leucocoprinus sp. ... For animals adapted to eat primarily plants, sometimes referred to as vegetarian animals, see Herbivore. ... An unusually large burrito. ... Feijoada, a traditional Brazilian dish, is a stew of black beans with a variety of pork and beef products such as salted pork trimmings (ears, tail, feet), pork sausage and bacon, and salted beef (loin and tongue). ... Parade of a Christian filà of Moros y Cristianos festival in Alcoy. ...

Black turtle beans have recently been reported to be an extremely good source of nutritional antioxidants. Nutrition is the study of the relationship between diet and states of health and disease. ... An antioxidant is a chemical that prevents the oxidation of other chemicals. ...

Black turtle bean varieties include:

• Domino
• Black Magic
• Blackhawk
• Nighthawk

External links

• Complete nutritional info.
• USAID fact sheet with nutritional information on pinto beans
• USAID fact sheet with nutritional information on black turtle beans
• Plant lectins
• Introducing FLAGEOLET beans on the Multilingual Multiscript Plantname Database site
• Lost Crops of the Incas, p 174 displays a popped seed of P. vulgaris nunas. (An extremely attractive colour photograph by J. Kucharski featuring many cultivars can be found in Lost Crops of the Incas between p 192 & p 193, unfortunately not shown on web site).