Phaseolus vulgaris
Phaseolus vulgaris is a legume species domesticated in the Americas. Its cultivated forms include kidney, pinto, navy, and black beans.
Fabaceae: Fabaceae is the flowering-plant family of legumes, including beans, peas, lentils, and soybeans. Common bean belongs to this family, whose flowers and fruits define its botanical kinship.
Mesoamerican domestication of beans: The cultivation and selective breeding of beans by Indigenous peoples in Mesoamerica. Archaeological and genetic evidence identifies Mesoamerica as one center of common bean domestication.
Kidney bean: A large, kidney-shaped cultivar group of common bean, often red but also available in other colors. It is one of the species’ widely recognized market types.
Runner bean: Phaseolus coccineus is a climbing bean species cultivated for edible seeds and pods. It shares the genus and common name but is a separate species.
Phaseolus: Phaseolus is a genus of legumes native to the Americas, including several cultivated bean species. Common bean is one species within this American genus.
Andean domestication of beans: The cultivation and selective breeding of beans by Indigenous peoples in the Andes. A distinct Andean domesticated gene pool contributed to the species’ diversity.
Pinto bean: A mottled cultivar group of common bean that becomes brown when cooked. Its speckled seeds are a major food form of this species.
Lima bean: Phaseolus lunatus is a cultivated legume species grown for its large edible seeds. It is a close botanical relative, not a type of common bean.
Bean: A bean is the edible seed of certain legumes, or the plant that produces it. The familiar food name covers seeds from several genera, including Phaseolus.
Columbian exchange: The transoceanic movement of plants, animals, people, and diseases after 1492. Common beans spread beyond the Americas through this exchange.