Scarlet bean (Phaseolus coccineus L.): a potential bean for India

Citation:

Singh BK, Gyan GP, Tiwari SK and Singh B. 2016. Scarlet bean (Phaseolus coccineus L.): a potential bean for India. In: National Symposium on Vegetable Legumes for Soil and Human Health (Singh B, Singh M, Rai AB, Singh PM, Prasad RN, Mishra GP, Singh BK, Ranjan JK, Devi J, Seth T, Nagendran K., Chaukhande P, Kumar R, Gautam KK, Gujjar RS and Kumar YB Eds). ICAR-IIVR, Varanasi, 12-14 February 2016, pp 162-170.

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Botanically, the Scarlet bean is Phaseolus coccineus (fay-see-OH-lus koh-SIN-ee-us), which in Greek meaning “Red Bean”; though the seeds are multi-colored (In Greek it is:  fah-SO-lee KOH-kee-no). It is also known as Scarlet runner beans, a term that reflects the growth habit and scarlet/red flowers. The other names by which it is known include, fire-bean, mammoth, red-giant, scarlet-emperor, runner-bean, multiflora-bean, haricot d’Espagne, Oregon Lima Bean, Aycoctl by the Aztecs, Ayocote by the Spanish, case knife bean in England, and Feija da Espanha, feijaescarlata and feijatrepador in Portugal. The vines are perennial, but not frost hardy, and are usually grown as a half-hardy annual. It is generally climbing or trailing type, often grown as an annual crop for dry seeds, immature pods, shelled beans or as an ornamental plant. The vines may grow to 5-6 m or more in length. It belongs to the Fabaceae or legume family, and economically occupies the second position after P. vulgaris because of its highly nutritive value for humans and animals. The vine bears large green heart shaped leaves; attractive cluster of bright scarlet flowers, followed by numerous slender pods of about 10-12 cm long and 2.5-3.0 cm wide during January through March. The knife-shaped pods are normally green; however, there are very rare varieties bred by amateurs that have very unusual purple pods. An example of such a purple-podded runner bean is 'Aeron Purple Star'. The beans are as attractive as the vines and flowers themselves. Most varieties have red flowers and multicolored seeds (though some have white flowers and white seeds), and they are often grown as ornamental plants.