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Taxon:  Phaseolus lunatus L.



Summary
Genus:
Phaseolus
Section:
Paniculati
Family:
Fabaceae (alt. Leguminosae)
Subfamily:
Faboideae
Tribe:
Phaseoleae
Subtribe:
Phaseolinae
Nomen number:
27591
Place of publication:
Sp. pl. 2:724. 1753
Verified:
08/16/2010 ARS Systematic Botanists.
Accessions:
152 (150  active, 74  available) in National Plant Germplasm System.  (Map it)
Other conspecific taxa
Autonyms (not in current use), synonyms and invalid designations
Heterotypic Synonym(s)
Phaseolus falcatus Benth. ex Hemsl., nom. nud.
Phaseolus inamoenus L.
Phaseolus limensis Macfad.
Phaseolus lunatus L. var. lunatus
Phaseolus lunatus L. var. macrocarpus (Moench) Benth.
Phaseolus lunatus L. var. silvester Baudet
Phaseolus macrocarpus Moench
Phaseolus tunkinensis Lour.
Phaseolus viridis Piper
No images


Reference(s)
  1. Adams, C. Flowering plants of Jamaica. 1972
  2. Aldén, B., S. Ryman & M. Hjertson. Våra kulturväxters namn - ursprung och användning. Formas, Stockholm (Handbook on Swedish cultivated and utility plants, their names and origin). 2009
  3. Allen, O. N. & E. K. Allen. The Leguminosae. A source book of characteristics, uses, and nodulation. 1981
  4. Andueza-Noh, R. H. et al. 2013. Multiple domestications of the Mesoamerican gene pool of lima bean (Phaseolus lunatus L.): evidence from chloroplast DNA sequences. Genet. Resources Crop Evol. 60:1069-1086.
  5. Andueza-Noh, R. H. et al. 2013. Multiple domestications of the Mesoamerican gene pool of lima bean (Phaseolus lunatus L.): evidence from chloroplast DNA sequences. Genet. Resources Crop Evol. 60:1069-1086.
  6. Aubréville, A. et al., eds. Flore du Cambodge du Laos et du Viet-Nam. 1960-
  7. Baudoin, J. P. Genetic resources, domestication, and evolution of lima bean (Phaseolus lunatus). Genetic resources of Phaseolus beans. 1988 393-407.
  8. Beyra, A. & G. Reyes Artiles. 2004. Revisión taxonómica de los géneros Phaseolus y Vigna (Leguminosae-Papilionoideae) en Cuba. Anales Jard. Bot. Madrid 61:138-139.
  9. Boggan, J. et al. Checklist of the plants of the Guianas, ed. 2. 1997
  10. Budanova, V. I. & N. R. Ivanov. 1973. K sistematike roda Phaseolus L. (To the sistematics of the genus Phaseolus L.). Trudy Prikl. Bot. 51:29.
  11. Caicedo, A. L. et al. 1999. AFLP fingerprinting of Phaseolus lunatus L. and related wild species from South America. Crop Sci. (Madison) 39:1497-1507.
  12. Debouck, D. G. et al. 1989. Observations on little-known Phaseolus germplasm of Ecuador. Pl. Genet. Resources Newslett. 80:15-21.
  13. Delgado-Salinas, A. et al. 2006. Phylogeny of the genus Phaseolus (Leguminosae): a recent diversification in an ancient landscape. Syst. Bot. 31:779-791.
  14. Delgado-Salinas, A. et al. 2006. Phylogeny of the genus Phaseolus (Leguminosae): a recent diversification in an ancient landscape. Syst. Bot. 31:779-791.
  15. Duke, J. A. et al. CRC Handbook of medicinal herbs. 2002
  16. Duke, J. A. Handbook of legumes of world economic importance. 1981
  17. Encke, F. et al. Zander: Handwörterbuch der Pflanzennamen, 13. Auflage. 1984
  18. Fofana, B. et al. 1999. Molecular evidence for an Andean origin and a secondary gene pool for the Lima bean (Phaseolus lunatus L.) using chloroplast DNA. Theor. Appl. Genet. 98:202-212.
  19. Fofana, B. et al. 1999. Molecular evidence for an Andean origin and a secondary gene pool for the Lima bean (Phaseolus lunatus L.) using chloroplast DNA. Theor. Appl. Genet. 98:202-212.
  20. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). 2010. Ecocrop (on-line resource).
  21. Freytag, G. F. & D. G. Debouck. 2002. Taxonomy, distribution, and ecology of the genus Phaseolus (Leguminosae-Papilionoideae) in North America, Mexico and Central America. Sida, Bot. Misc. 23:103-110.
  22. Gutiérrez-Salgado, A. et al. 1995. Evidence for two gene pools of the Lima bean, Phaseolus lunatus L., in the Americas. Genet. Resources Crop Evol. 42:15-28.
  23. Instituto de Botánica Darwinion. Flora del Conosur. Catálogo de las plantas vasculares. 2008
  24. International Seed Testing Association. A Multilingual Glossary of Common Plant-Names 1. Field crops, grasses and vegetables, ed. 2. 1982
  25. Kingsbury, J. M. Poisonous plants of the United States and Canada. 1964
  26. León (J. S. Sauget) & Alain (E. E. Liogier). Flora de Cuba. 1946-1962; suppl. 1969
  27. Leitão, H. F. 1974. Contribuição ao estudo taxonômico do gênero Phaseolus L. no Brasil. Bragantia 33:62.
  28. Lewis, G. P. Legumes of Bahia. 1987
  29. Liberty Hyde Bailey Hortorium. Hortus third. 1976
  30. Liogier, H. A. & L. F. Martorell. Flora of Puerto Rico and adjacent islands: a systematic synopsis. 1982
  31. Macbride, J. F. et al., eds. Flora of Peru. 1936-1971; new ser. 1980-
  32. Maesen, L. J. G. van der & Sadikin Somaatmadja, eds. 1989. Pulses. Plant Resources of South-East Asia (PROSEA). 1989- 1:57.
  33. Maquet, A. et al. 1999. Phylogenetic study on wild allies of Lima bean, Phaseolus lunatus (Fabaceae), and implications on its origin. Pl. Syst. Evol. 218:43-54.
  34. Maquet, A. et al. 1999. Phylogenetic study on wild allies of Lima bean, Phaseolus lunatus (Fabaceae), and implications on its origin. Pl. Syst. Evol. 218:43-54.
  35. Maréchal, R. et al. 1978. Étude taxonomique d'un groupe complexe d'espèces des genres Phaseolus et Vigna (Papilionaceae) sur la base données morphologiques et polliniques, traitées par l'analyse informatique. Boissiera 28:145.
  36. Mun-Chan, B. et al. 1986. A checklist of the Korean cultivated plants. Kulturpflanze 34:116.
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  39. Rehm, S. & G. Espig. The cultivated plants of the tropics and subtropics. 1991
  40. Rehm, S. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants. 1994
  41. Serrano-Serrano, M. L. et al. 2010. Gene pools in wild Lima bean (Phaseolus lunatus L.) from the Americas: Evidences for an Andean origin and past migrations. Molec. Phylogenet. Evol. 54:76-87.
  42. Serrano-Serrano, M. L. et al. 2010. Gene pools in wild Lima bean (Phaseolus lunatus L.) from the Americas: Evidences for an Andean origin and past migrations. Molec. Phylogenet. Evol. 54:76-87.
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  48. Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. Flora of China (English edition). 1994-
  49. PROTABASE, the information base of PROTA (Plant Resources of Tropical Africa) (on-line resource).
Common names
English
butter bean –
Lima bean –
Sieva bean –
sugar bean –
French
haricot de Lima –
haricot du Cap –
pois du Cap –
German
Limabohne –
Mondbohne –
Italian
fagiolo di Lima –
Japanese Rōmaji
aoi-mame –
Portuguese
feijão-de-Lima –
Portuguese (Brazil)
fava-Belém –
Spanish
frijol de luna –
haba lima –
judía de Lima –
pallar –
Swedish
limaböna –
Transcribed Chinese
main dou –
Transcribed Korean
chaedu –
Distribution
order_codeStatusContinentSubcontinentCountryStateNote
1NativeNorthern AmericaNorthern MexicoMexicoBaja Sur 
1NativeNorthern AmericaNorthern MexicoMexicoSinaloa 
1NativeNorthern AmericaNorthern MexicoMexicoTamaulipas 
1NativeNorthern AmericaSouthern MexicoMexicoCampeche 
1NativeNorthern AmericaSouthern MexicoMexicoChiapas 
1NativeNorthern AmericaSouthern MexicoMexicoGuerrero 
1NativeNorthern AmericaSouthern MexicoMexicoJalisco 
1NativeNorthern AmericaSouthern MexicoMexicoMexico 
1NativeNorthern AmericaSouthern MexicoMexicoMichoacan 
1NativeNorthern AmericaSouthern MexicoMexicoMorelos 
1NativeNorthern AmericaSouthern MexicoMexicoNayarit 
1NativeNorthern AmericaSouthern MexicoMexicoOaxaca 
1NativeNorthern AmericaSouthern MexicoMexicoTabasco 
1NativeNorthern AmericaSouthern MexicoMexicoVeracruz 
1NativeNorthern AmericaSouthern MexicoMexicoYucatan 
1NativeSouthern AmericaBrazilBrazilPara 
1NativeSouthern AmericaMesoamericaBelizeCayo 
1NativeSouthern AmericaMesoamericaBelizeCorozal 
1NativeSouthern AmericaMesoamericaBelizeStann Creek 
1NativeSouthern AmericaMesoamericaBelizeToledo 
1NativeSouthern AmericaMesoamericaCosta RicaGuanacaste 
1NativeSouthern AmericaMesoamericaCosta RicaHeredia 
1NativeSouthern AmericaMesoamericaEl SalvadorAhuachapan 
1NativeSouthern AmericaMesoamericaEl SalvadorLa Libertad 
1NativeSouthern AmericaMesoamericaEl SalvadorSan Miguel 
1NativeSouthern AmericaMesoamericaEl SalvadorSan Salvador 
1NativeSouthern AmericaMesoamericaEl SalvadorSan Vicente 
1NativeSouthern AmericaMesoamericaEl SalvadorSonsonate 
1NativeSouthern AmericaMesoamericaGuatemalaAlta Verapaz 
1NativeSouthern AmericaMesoamericaGuatemalaChimaltenango 
1NativeSouthern AmericaMesoamericaGuatemalaChiquimula 
1NativeSouthern AmericaMesoamericaGuatemalaEl Progreso 
1NativeSouthern AmericaMesoamericaGuatemalaEscuintla 
1NativeSouthern AmericaMesoamericaGuatemalaGuatemala 
1NativeSouthern AmericaMesoamericaGuatemalaIzabal 
1NativeSouthern AmericaMesoamericaGuatemalaJalapa 
1NativeSouthern AmericaMesoamericaGuatemalaPeten 
1NativeSouthern AmericaMesoamericaGuatemalaQuezaltenango 
1NativeSouthern AmericaMesoamericaGuatemalaRetalhuleu 
1NativeSouthern AmericaMesoamericaGuatemalaSacatepequez 
1NativeSouthern AmericaMesoamericaGuatemalaSan Marcos 
1NativeSouthern AmericaMesoamericaGuatemalaSanta Rosa 
1NativeSouthern AmericaMesoamericaGuatemalaSolola 
1NativeSouthern AmericaMesoamericaGuatemalaSuchitepequez 
1NativeSouthern AmericaMesoamericaGuatemalaZacapa 
1NativeSouthern AmericaMesoamericaHondurasAtlantida 
1NativeSouthern AmericaMesoamericaHondurasColon 
1NativeSouthern AmericaMesoamericaHondurasComayagua 
1NativeSouthern AmericaMesoamericaHondurasCortes 
1NativeSouthern AmericaMesoamericaHondurasEl Paraiso 
1NativeSouthern AmericaMesoamericaHondurasFrancisco Morazan 
1NativeSouthern AmericaMesoamericaNicaraguaChinandega 
1NativeSouthern AmericaMesoamericaNicaraguaEsteli 
1NativeSouthern AmericaMesoamericaNicaraguaGranada 
1NativeSouthern AmericaMesoamericaNicaraguaJinotega 
1NativeSouthern AmericaMesoamericaNicaraguaManagua 
1NativeSouthern AmericaMesoamericaNicaraguaZelaya 
1NativeSouthern AmericaMesoamericaPanamaChiriqui 
1NativeSouthern AmericaMesoamericaPanamaHerrera 
1NativeSouthern AmericaMesoamericaPanamaPanama 
1NativeSouthern AmericaNorthern South AmericaVenezuela  
1NativeSouthern AmericaSouthern South AmericaArgentinaChaco 
1NativeSouthern AmericaSouthern South AmericaArgentinaSalta 
1NativeSouthern AmericaSouthern South AmericaParaguay  
1NativeSouthern AmericaWestern South AmericaBoliviaCochabamba 
1NativeSouthern AmericaWestern South AmericaColombiaMagdalena 
1NativeSouthern AmericaWestern South AmericaEcuadorAzuay 
1NativeSouthern AmericaWestern South AmericaEcuadorLoja 
1NativeSouthern AmericaWestern South AmericaPeruCuzco 
2Cultivated     
4Naturalized     
Native
Northern America
  • NORTHERN MEXICO: Mexico [Baja Sur, Sinaloa, Tamaulipas]
  • SOUTHERN MEXICO: Mexico [Campeche, Chiapas, Guerrero, Jalisco, Mexico, Michoacan, Morelos, Nayarit, Oaxaca, Tabasco, Veracruz, Yucatan]
Southern America
  • BRAZIL: Brazil [Para]
  • MESOAMERICA: Belize [Cayo, Corozal, Stann Creek, Toledo], Costa Rica [Guanacaste, Heredia], Guatemala [Alta Verapaz, Chimaltenango, Chiquimula, El Progreso, Escuintla, Guatemala, Izabal, Jalapa, Peten, Quezaltenango, Retalhuleu, Sacatepequez, San Marcos, Santa Rosa, Solola, Suchitepequez, Zacapa], Honduras [Atlantida, Colon, Comayagua, Cortes, El Paraiso, Francisco Morazan], Nicaragua [Chinandega, Esteli, Granada, Jinotega, Managua, Zelaya], Panama [Chiriqui, Herrera, Panama], El Salvador [Ahuachapan, La Libertad, San Miguel, San Salvador, San Vicente, Sonsonate]
  • NORTHERN SOUTH AMERICA: Venezuela
  • SOUTHERN SOUTH AMERICA: Argentina [Chaco, Salta], Paraguay
  • WESTERN SOUTH AMERICA: Bolivia [Cochabamba], Colombia [Magdalena], Ecuador [Azuay, Loja], Peru [Cuzco]
Cultivated ()
Naturalized ()
Economic Uses
UsageTypeNoteReference
Human foodpulse Rehm, S. & G. Espig. The cultivated plants of the tropics and subtropics. 1991
Human foodvegetable Rehm, S. & G. Espig. The cultivated plants of the tropics and subtropics. 1991
Medicinesfolklore Duke, J. A. et al. CRC Handbook of medicinal herbs. 2002
Vertebrate poisonsmammals Kingsbury, J. M. Poisonous plants of the United States and Canada. 1964
Cite as: USDA, Agricultural Research Service, National Plant Germplasm System. 2025. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN Taxonomy). National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland.
URL: https://ausgenebank.agriculture.vic.gov.au/gringlobal/taxon/taxonomydetail?id=27591. Accessed 20 April 2025.

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