HERB - Beans

[khkeeler]

Greetings from Agnes
 
> Well, the version of the TACUINUM I've been looking at already has an entry
> for chickpea, (is that another name for cowpea?) as well as broad beans and
> the mystery "bean"
chickpeas are also called garbanzos, _Cicer arietinum_ 
> Also, I didn't think cowpeas were really climbers,
I'm consulting the Oxford book of food plants (Oxford U press, 1973) 
cowpeas are _Vigna ungulata_, originated in Africa, cultivated across
Asia.  Africa prefers a weakly trailing plant whose seeds are dried, SE
Asia and Cina a tall climbing form which needs sticks to support.  These
include the "yard long bean"pods

 and "fasiolo" (close to
> "fasiolum") is translated as "climbing bean" in THE PLAN OF ST. GALL.
Oxford Book of Food Plants lists two members of the genus _Phaseolus_
from the Old World (but see below): black gram _Phaseolus mungo" often
known by its Indian name of "urd".  Chiefly grown in India. Whole plant
is hairy & has an erect or trailing habit similar to a dwarf French
bean; Each pot contains up to 10 black seeds with a conspiculous white
hilum (ie white "dot" where it was attached inside the pod). Seeds about
1/4" long
and green gram _Phaseolus aureus_ also known by the Indian name "mung"
and probably native to India.  simlar to black gram but less hairy. 
They are pictured as green versions of the urd.

Also from Eurasia they list pigeon peas _Cajanus cajan_ native to
Africa, reached Asia in prehistoric times.  Yellow flowers, perennial
shrub or bush to 6' tall in good conditions.  3-4 seds per pd, varying
reddish shades with prominent white hilum.  Seeds about 1/2" long.
Broad bean: _Vicia faba_ cultivated since Iron Age in Europe including
British Isles.
Historic forms are all small-seeded.  Hardy annual with 4-ribed stem,
white flowers with black blotches.  two main varieties: Windsors with
short pods of 4 almost circular seeds, Longpods with 8 more-or-less
oblong seeds. They show the seeds as beige colored.

Lablab _Dolichos lablab_, 'bonavist bean" and "hyacinth bean" or _lubia_
in Arabic.
Cultivated in India since very early time.  Stand erect or trail in a
field, as a garden vegetable in India climb sticks.  Flowers white or
purple, pods various colors including pale yellow, seeds may be
white,reddish, black or mottled.  Cause food poisoning if eaten raw. 
they show the seeds as 3/8" long, and in the picture its a "bean plant"
looking a lot like green beans or limas or cowpea.

They also have a depressing little paragraph on "Other Exotic Legumes"
listing "certain species of _Phaseolus_ ...such as the "moth bean" of
India, another Phaseolus from India, the adzuki (a Phaseolus from China
and Japan); the cluster bean _Cyamopsis psoraloides_ a not unimportant
crop in India and West Pakistan, goa bean (grown in tropical and
sometimes WEst Africa) _Lathyrus sativus_ the grass pea of India and the
Middle East (usaually a famine food).  

--more modern references put all of the Eurasian natives previously
called _Phaseolus_ into _Vigna_, which is certainly tidy.  It also
supports Aloyson's statement that faseolus gave its name to the American
beans. Hancock (Plant evolution and the origin of crop species)
reproduces a wonderful figure showing peas and beans from Eurasian
archaeological sites and the modern varieties:  of course they are half
the size.
The figure has one I hadn't seen mentioned: bitter vetch, _Vicia
ervilia_

Agnes
kkeeler1 at unl.edu
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