Origin, dispersal, and variability of the lima bean, Phaseolus lunatus

Mackie, W

Origin, dispersal, and variability of the lima bean, Phaseolus lunatus

Author

W. W. Mackie

Author Affiliations

W. W. Mackie was Agronomist in the Experiment Station.

Publication Information

Hilgardia 15(1):1-29. DOI:10.3733/hilg.v15n01p001. March 1943.

PDF of full article, Cite this article

Abstract

Abstract does not appear. First page follows.

Origin and Dispersal

Columbus on his first voyage of discovery found beans under intensive cultivation by the Indians in Cuba. Other early Spanish explorers likewise encountered cultivated beans. English and French explorers, following the Spanish, found beans along the whole Atlantic Coast as far north as Virginia ⁽¹⁰⁾.3 The lima bean, however, appeared to be restricted to the area south of the Potomac River in Virginia, where it is still found in close resemblance to the original primitive forms of the inhabited islands of the West Indies, Brazil, Colombia, Peru, Central America, the western coast of Mexico, and northward to the Hopi pueblos in the southwestern United States. The antiquity of these lima beans is further confirmed by the extensive discoveries of large lima beans of various colors in the tombs of ancient Peruvian cultures ⁽⁴⁹⁾ and in excavations of pre-Columbian ruins of the southwestern agricultural Indians ⁽³⁸⁾.

It is evident from the records of explorers and botanists that the lima beans have been distributed by man. From these early bean cultures, the lima beans have escaped into the jungles and have established themselves in a wild state where they are recovered at the present time. In North and South America these escaped lima beans are undoubtedly of pre-Columbian origin, but similar escapes are found throughout the world in tropical countries where they have been introduced in post- Columbian times ⁽⁴³⁾.

The origin of the lima bean has been confused. The origin of the large lima has been placed in the Amazon Valley by Bentham ⁽⁶⁾ and accepted by deCandolle ⁽⁹⁾ in his studies on the origin of cultivated plants.

Literature Cited

[1] Anonymous. Parasites of the bean pod borer. Puerto Rico Exp. Sta. 1939. 1938:108 Rept: Anonymous

[2] Armstrong E. Frankland. The carbohydrates and the glucosides. 1924. 39 Paternoster Row, London: Longmans, Green and Company. 293p.

[3] Bailey L. H. Cyclopedia of American horticulture. 1900. New York, N. Y.: The Macmillan Company. 1295p.

[4] Bailey L. H. Manual of cultivated plants. 1924. New York, N. Y.: The Macmillan Company. 851p.

[5] Barrons Keith C. Natural crossing in beans at different degrees of isolation. Amer. Soc. Hort. Sci. 1939. 36:637-40. 1938 Proc

[6] Bentham George. Martius’ flora Braziliensis. Leguminosae. 1859. 15:181

[7] Bruner S. C., Jenkins Anna E. Identity and host relations of the Elsinoe of lima bean. Jour. Agr. Res. 1933. 47(10):783-89.

[8] Bukasov S. M. The cultivated plants of Mexico, Guatemala, and Colombia. Trudy Prikl. Bot., Genet., i Selek. (Bul. Appl. Bot., Genet., and Plant Breeding) Sup. 1930. 47:1-553.

[9] Candolle A. de. Origin of cultivated plants. 1884. London: Kegan Paul, Trench &; Co. 468p.

[10] Carrier Lyman. The beginnings of agriculture in America. 1923. New York, N. Y.: McGraw-Hill Book Company, Inc. 323p.

[11] Charlton J. The selection of Burma beans (Phaseolus lunatus) for low prussic acid content. India Dept. Agr. Mem., Chem. Ser. 1926. 9:1-36.

[12] Colnett J. A voyage to the south Atlantic and around Cape Horn into the Pacific Ocean. 1798. London: Printed for the author by W. Bennett. 88p.

[13] Essig E. O. Insects of western North America. 1926. New York, N. Y.: The Macmillan Company. 1035p. (See specifically p. 709.)

[14] Fawcett W., Rendle A. B. Flora of Jamaica. 1920. 4:62-66.

[15] Forbes R. H. Moki lima beans. Sultanic Agr. Soc., Tech. Sect. Bul. 1921. 9:1-22.

[16] Garner W. W., Allard H. A. Effect of the relative length of day and night and other factors of the environment on growth and reproduction in plants. Jour. Agr. Res. 1920. 18:553-606.

[17] Gilmore Melvin R. The ethnological laboratory 1932. p.26. Michigan Univ. Occas. Papers Contr. No. 1

[18] Hedrick U. P., Tapley W. T., Van Eseltine G. P., Enzie W. D. Vegetables of New York, Vol. 1. Part II. Beans of New York. New York State (Geneva) Agr. Exp. Sta. 1931. pp.1-110.

[19] Hendry G. W. Bean culture in California. California Agr. Exp. Sta. Bul. 1921. 294:1-70. http://archive.org/details/beancultureincal294hend

[20] Huelsen W. A. Three new varieties of bush lima beans. Illinois Agr. Exp. Sta. Bul. 1939. 461:109-20.

[21] Ivanov N. R. Peculiarities in the originating of forms of Phaseolus L. in the old and in the new world. [With English summary.]. Trudy Prikl. Bot., Genet., i Selek. (Bul. Appl. Bot., Genet., and Plant Breeding). 1928. 19(2):185-212.

[22] Jenkins Anna E. Scab of Canavalia caused by Elsinoe canavaliae. Jour. Agr. Res. 1931. 42:1-23.

[23] Jepson W. L. Manual of the flowering plants of California. 1925. Berkeley, California: Associated Students Store, University of California. 279p.

[24] Johnston Ivan M. Expedition of the California Academy of Sciences to the Gulf of California in 1921. California Acad. Sci. Proc. (4th Series). 1924. 12:951-1218.

[25] Karpechenko G. D. On the chromosomes of Phaseolinae. [With English summary.]. Trudy Prikl. Bot. i Selek. (Bul. Appl. Bot. and Plant Breeding). 1925. 14:143-48.

[26] Linnaeus C. Species Plantarum 1753.

[27] Macfayden J. Flora of Jamaica. 1837. 1:279-82.

[28] Mackie W. W., Smith F. L. Evidence of field hybridization in beans. Amer. Soc. Agron. Jour. 1935. 27:903-9. DOI: 10.2134/agronj1935.00021962002700110006x [CrossRef]

[29] Magruder Roy. Introducing Baby Fordhook, a new thick-seeded bush lima for canning. Canner. 1938. 86(17):13-14. (18): 16-18

[30] Magruder Roy, Wester R. E. Natural crossing in lima beans in Maryland. Amer. Soc. Hort. Sci. Proc. 1940. 37:731-36.

[31] Piper C. V. Studies of American Phaseolinae. In Smithsonian Institution. U. S. Natl. Mus. Contrib. U. S. Natl. Herbarium. 1926. 22(Part 9):663-701.

[32] Pittier de Fábrega Henri F. Ensayo sobre las plantas usuales de Costa Rica. 1908. Washington, D. C.: H. L. and J. B. McQueen, Inc. 176p.

[33] Rimbaud R. Le pois du cap dans le sud-ouest de Madagascar. Agron. Colon. 1931. 20:80-83. 99-111

[34] Senn Harold A. Chromosome number relationships in Leguminosae. Bibliographia Genetica. 1938. 12:175-336.

[35] Small J. K. Flora of the southeastern United States. 1913. 2d ed. New York: The author. 1394p.

[36] Smith R. E., Smith C. O., Ramsey H. J. Walnut culture in California; walnut blight. California Agr. Exp. Sta. Bul. 1913. 231:126-38. http://archive.org/details/walnutcultureinc231smit

[37] Standley P. C. Flora of Yucatan. Field Mus. Nat. Hist. Chicago, Publ. 279. Bot. Ser. 1930. 3(3):157-492.

[38] Steen Charles R., Jones Volney H. Prehistoric lima beans in the Southwest. El Palacio. 1941. 48(9):197-203.

[39] Sturtevant E. L. History of lima beans. Amer. Nat. 1889. 23:665-67. DOI: 10.1086/274986 [CrossRef]

[40] Thaxter Roland. Mildew of lima beans (Phytophthora phaseoli Thaxt.). Connecticut Agr. Exp. Sta. Rept. 1890. 1889:167-71. Pl. III

[41] Thomstone E., Sawyer A. The peas and beans of Burma. Burma Dept. Agr. Bul. N. 1914. 12:1-107.

[42] Thone Frank. A corridor for corn 1935. Science News Letter, June 29, 1935

[43] Van Eseltine G. P. Variation in the lima bean, Phaseolus lunatus L., as illustrated by its synonomy. New York State (Geneva). Agr. Exp. Sta. Tech. Bul. 1931. 182:1-24.

[44] Vavilov N. I. Studies on the origin of cultivated plants. [English translation.]. Inst. Bot. Appl. et d’Amelior. Plantes [Leningrad]. 1926. 8:139-248.

[45] Vavilov N. I. Mexico and Central America as the principal centers of origin of cultivated plants of the New World. [With English summary.]. Trudy Prikl. Bot., Genet., i Selek. (Bul. Appl. Bot., Genet., and Plant Breeding) 3, vol. 1931. 26:179-99.

[46] Warth E. J., Gyi K. K. Prussic acid in Burma beans. Agr. Res. Inst. Pusa, Bul. 1918. 79:11

[47] Watt George. Commercial products of India. 1908. Albermarle Street, W., London: John Murray. 880p.

[48] Whiting Alfred F. Ethnobotany of the Hopi. Mus. Northern Arizona. Bul. 1939. 15:iii-viii.

[49] Wittmarck L. [Bohnen aus altperuvanischen Gräbern, die er unter den Sämereien gefunden.…]. Bot. Ver. der Brandenb. Verhandl. 1879. 71:176-84.

Also in this issue:

University of California research on pear decline organized to find means to control or to live with the disease

Electronic devices to detect fruit maturity

Flight patterns of the peach twig borer

New method for studies on irrigation efficiencies

Blanching as an aid in dewatering forage

Climatic limitations on plant growth evaluated by balancing soil moisture against evaporation and transpiration

New California pest sorghum midge found in San Joaquin Valley

Disease of corn, sorghum, and sudangrass head smut established in California

Rapid method of estimating lime requirements of acid soils of California

Leaf analysis as a guide to nitrogen fertilization of oranges

Suspected virus disease rusty blotch of Japanese plums found throughout California