Phaseolus lunatus
L.
Fabaceae
Dolichos tonkinensis Bui-Quang-Chieu
Phaseolus bipunctatus Jacq.
Phaseolus ilocanus Blanco
Phaseolus inamoensus L.
Phaseolus limensis L.
Phaseolus macrocarpus Moench
Phaseolus portoricensis Spreng.
Phaseolus puberulus Kunth
Phaseolus rosei Piper
Phaseolus saccharatus Macfad.
Phaseolus tunkinensis Lour.
Phaseolus vexillatus Blanco
Phaseolus viridis Piper
Phaseolus vulgaris Blanco
Phaseolus xuaresii Zuccagni
Common Name: Lima Bean
General Information
Phaseolus lunatus is an annual to herbaceous perennial climbing plant producing twining stems generally up to 4 metres long, though sometimes as much as 8 metres long, from a fibrous rootstock that can be somewhat fleshy. The much-branched stems scramble over the ground or twine into the surrounding vegetation or any provided supports[
299- Title
- Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa.
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://www.prota.org
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
,
1555- Title
- Taxonomy, Distribution, and Ecology of the Genus Phaseolus (Leguminosae-Papilionoideae) in North America, Mexico and
- Publication
- SIda, Botanical Mlscellany, No 23
- Author
- Freytag G.F. & Debouck D.G.
- Website
- http://www.brit.org/sida
- Publisher
- Botanical Researeh Institute of Texas
- Year
- 2002
- ISBN
- 1-889878-11-1
- Description
- An excellent, detailed study of the genus Phaseolus, it has been made available on-line as an open access document.
].
Lima bean is a very popular food crop, being used mainly for its seeds and immature seedpods. There are many different varieties of the plant, producing a wide range of beans, including the large, white 'butter bean'. The plant was already widely cultivated in the Americas before the arrival of the Europeans, who then spread it thoughout Africa, Asia etc. It is widely cultivated nowadays for its edible seed and seedpods in many tropical to warm temperate areas of the world[
183- Title
- Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Facciola. S.
- Publisher
- Kampong Publications
- Year
- 1990
- ISBN
- 0-9628087-0-9
- Description
- Excellent. Contains a very wide range of conventional and unconventional food plants (including tropical) and where they can be obtained (mainly N. American nurseries but also research institutes and a lot of other nurseries from around the world.
,
200- Title
- The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Huxley. A.
- Publisher
- MacMillan Press
- Year
- 1992
- ISBN
- 0-333-47494-5
- Description
- Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
].
Known Hazards
The raw mature seed, especially of wild forms, is poisonous. The toxic principle is hydrocyanic acid and this is destroyed by thoroughly cooking the seed and discarding the water[
200- Title
- The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Huxley. A.
- Publisher
- MacMillan Press
- Year
- 1992
- ISBN
- 0-333-47494-5
- Description
- Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
].
Botanical References
200- Title
- The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Huxley. A.
- Publisher
- MacMillan Press
- Year
- 1992
- ISBN
- 0-333-47494-5
- Description
- Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
,
1555- Title
- Taxonomy, Distribution, and Ecology of the Genus Phaseolus (Leguminosae-Papilionoideae) in North America, Mexico and
- Publication
- SIda, Botanical Mlscellany, No 23
- Author
- Freytag G.F. & Debouck D.G.
- Website
- http://www.brit.org/sida
- Publisher
- Botanical Researeh Institute of Texas
- Year
- 2002
- ISBN
- 1-889878-11-1
- Description
- An excellent, detailed study of the genus Phaseolus, it has been made available on-line as an open access document.
Range
S. America. - Argentina, Paraguay, Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela; C. America - Panama to northern Mexico
Habitat
Along stream banks and in moist arcas in deciduous tropical forests, usually in thickets and climbing over shrubs or small trees and often invading cut-over lands and along fences and paths; at elevations up to 1,600 metres[
1555- Title
- Taxonomy, Distribution, and Ecology of the Genus Phaseolus (Leguminosae-Papilionoideae) in North America, Mexico and
- Publication
- SIda, Botanical Mlscellany, No 23
- Author
- Freytag G.F. & Debouck D.G.
- Website
- http://www.brit.org/sida
- Publisher
- Botanical Researeh Institute of Texas
- Year
- 2002
- ISBN
- 1-889878-11-1
- Description
- An excellent, detailed study of the genus Phaseolus, it has been made available on-line as an open access document.
]
Properties
Edibility Rating | |
Medicinal Rating | |
Other Uses Rating | |
Habit | Perennial Climber |
Height | 4.00 m |
Pollinators | Bees, Insects |
Self-fertile | Yes |
Cultivation Status | Cultivated |
Cultivation Details
Phaseolus lunatus is found in the tropical and subtropical regions of South and Central America, and generally grows best in lowland tropical areas at elevations up to 1,500 metres[
300- Title
- Vegetables in the Tropics
- Publication
-
- Author
- Tindall. H. D.
- Publisher
- MacMillan, Oxford.
- Year
- 1983
- ISBN
- 0-333-24268-8
- Description
- An excellent, in-depth look at the main vegetable crops that can be grown in the Tropics, plus many less well-known plants.
].It can also be grown in warmer regions of the temperate zone, so long as there is a sufficiently long enough growing season to ripen the crop. An annual rainfall in the range 900 - 1,500 is adequate[
300- Title
- Vegetables in the Tropics
- Publication
-
- Author
- Tindall. H. D.
- Publisher
- MacMillan, Oxford.
- Year
- 1983
- ISBN
- 0-333-24268-8
- Description
- An excellent, in-depth look at the main vegetable crops that can be grown in the Tropics, plus many less well-known plants.
], but once established the crop tolerates as little as 500 - 600 mm of rainfall[
299- Title
- Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa.
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://www.prota.org
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
]. Plants are generally tolerant of heavy rainfall during the growing period, though heavy rain when they are flowering can adversely affect fertilization[
300- Title
- Vegetables in the Tropics
- Publication
-
- Author
- Tindall. H. D.
- Publisher
- MacMillan, Oxford.
- Year
- 1983
- ISBN
- 0-333-24268-8
- Description
- An excellent, in-depth look at the main vegetable crops that can be grown in the Tropics, plus many less well-known plants.
]. A dry period is required for the seeds to mature[
300- Title
- Vegetables in the Tropics
- Publication
-
- Author
- Tindall. H. D.
- Publisher
- MacMillan, Oxford.
- Year
- 1983
- ISBN
- 0-333-24268-8
- Description
- An excellent, in-depth look at the main vegetable crops that can be grown in the Tropics, plus many less well-known plants.
]. Plants are very sensitive to frost, whilst temperatures higher than 30°c adversely affect fertilization, especially in forms that have large seeds[
300- Title
- Vegetables in the Tropics
- Publication
-
- Author
- Tindall. H. D.
- Publisher
- MacMillan, Oxford.
- Year
- 1983
- ISBN
- 0-333-24268-8
- Description
- An excellent, in-depth look at the main vegetable crops that can be grown in the Tropics, plus many less well-known plants.
].
Requires a well-drained moderately fertile soil in a sunny position[
200- Title
- The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Huxley. A.
- Publisher
- MacMillan Press
- Year
- 1992
- ISBN
- 0-333-47494-5
- Description
- Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
]. Prefers a sandy loam[
300- Title
- Vegetables in the Tropics
- Publication
-
- Author
- Tindall. H. D.
- Publisher
- MacMillan, Oxford.
- Year
- 1983
- ISBN
- 0-333-24268-8
- Description
- An excellent, in-depth look at the main vegetable crops that can be grown in the Tropics, plus many less well-known plants.
].. Plants are prone to drop their flowers when grown in nitrogen-rich soils[
200- Title
- The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Huxley. A.
- Publisher
- MacMillan Press
- Year
- 1992
- ISBN
- 0-333-47494-5
- Description
- Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
]. Found in the wild on a range of well-drained soils from black clay to brown friable to rocky and sandy (even on sand dunes near beaches) and variously derived from basalt, vokanic ash, limestone. metamorphic schists or volcanic rock[
1555- Title
- Taxonomy, Distribution, and Ecology of the Genus Phaseolus (Leguminosae-Papilionoideae) in North America, Mexico and
- Publication
- SIda, Botanical Mlscellany, No 23
- Author
- Freytag G.F. & Debouck D.G.
- Website
- http://www.brit.org/sida
- Publisher
- Botanical Researeh Institute of Texas
- Year
- 2002
- ISBN
- 1-889878-11-1
- Description
- An excellent, detailed study of the genus Phaseolus, it has been made available on-line as an open access document.
]. Prefers a pH in the range 6 - 7[
300- Title
- Vegetables in the Tropics
- Publication
-
- Author
- Tindall. H. D.
- Publisher
- MacMillan, Oxford.
- Year
- 1983
- ISBN
- 0-333-24268-8
- Description
- An excellent, in-depth look at the main vegetable crops that can be grown in the Tropics, plus many less well-known plants.
], however some cultivars tolerate acid soils with a pH as low as 4.4[
299- Title
- Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa.
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://www.prota.org
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
]. Some climbing forms are more drought resistant than bush forms due to their deep, well-developed root system[
299- Title
- Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa.
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://www.prota.org
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
,
300- Title
- Vegetables in the Tropics
- Publication
-
- Author
- Tindall. H. D.
- Publisher
- MacMillan, Oxford.
- Year
- 1983
- ISBN
- 0-333-24268-8
- Description
- An excellent, in-depth look at the main vegetable crops that can be grown in the Tropics, plus many less well-known plants.
].
Plants can commence producing their edible seedpods in 12 - 16 weeks from seed[
200- Title
- The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Huxley. A.
- Publisher
- MacMillan Press
- Year
- 1992
- ISBN
- 0-333-47494-5
- Description
- Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
]. The pods can be harvested over a period of several months[
300- Title
- Vegetables in the Tropics
- Publication
-
- Author
- Tindall. H. D.
- Publisher
- MacMillan, Oxford.
- Year
- 1983
- ISBN
- 0-333-24268-8
- Description
- An excellent, in-depth look at the main vegetable crops that can be grown in the Tropics, plus many less well-known plants.
].
Yields of 400 - 1,500 kilos per hectare of dried seed can be obtained[
300- Title
- Vegetables in the Tropics
- Publication
-
- Author
- Tindall. H. D.
- Publisher
- MacMillan, Oxford.
- Year
- 1983
- ISBN
- 0-333-24268-8
- Description
- An excellent, in-depth look at the main vegetable crops that can be grown in the Tropics, plus many less well-known plants.
].
A very variable plant from which a wide range of cultivars have been developed[
300- Title
- Vegetables in the Tropics
- Publication
-
- Author
- Tindall. H. D.
- Publisher
- MacMillan, Oxford.
- Year
- 1983
- ISBN
- 0-333-24268-8
- Description
- An excellent, in-depth look at the main vegetable crops that can be grown in the Tropics, plus many less well-known plants.
]. There are both bush and climbing forms as well as annual and perennial forms[
300- Title
- Vegetables in the Tropics
- Publication
-
- Author
- Tindall. H. D.
- Publisher
- MacMillan, Oxford.
- Year
- 1983
- ISBN
- 0-333-24268-8
- Description
- An excellent, in-depth look at the main vegetable crops that can be grown in the Tropics, plus many less well-known plants.
]. The climbing plants are more productive but bush forms come into bearing more quickly and are probably more suitable for cooler gardens[
200- Title
- The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Huxley. A.
- Publisher
- MacMillan Press
- Year
- 1992
- ISBN
- 0-333-47494-5
- Description
- Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
].
This species has a symbiotic relationship with certain soil bacteria, these bacteria form nodules on the roots and fix atmospheric nitrogen. Some of this nitrogen is utilized by the growing plant but some can also be used by other plants growing nearby[
200- Title
- The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Huxley. A.
- Publisher
- MacMillan Press
- Year
- 1992
- ISBN
- 0-333-47494-5
- Description
- Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
].
Edible Uses
Immature seed - cooked[
183- Title
- Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Facciola. S.
- Publisher
- Kampong Publications
- Year
- 1990
- ISBN
- 0-9628087-0-9
- Description
- Excellent. Contains a very wide range of conventional and unconventional food plants (including tropical) and where they can be obtained (mainly N. American nurseries but also research institutes and a lot of other nurseries from around the world.
]. They need a lot less cooking than mature seeds and are eaten in a range of ways, such as like peas in soups and, stews etc, or boiled, fried or baked[
183- Title
- Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Facciola. S.
- Publisher
- Kampong Publications
- Year
- 1990
- ISBN
- 0-9628087-0-9
- Description
- Excellent. Contains a very wide range of conventional and unconventional food plants (including tropical) and where they can be obtained (mainly N. American nurseries but also research institutes and a lot of other nurseries from around the world.
,
299- Title
- Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa.
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://www.prota.org
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
].
The mature seed is dried and stored for future use. A rich source of protein, it must be thoroughly cooked before being eaten[
200- Title
- The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Huxley. A.
- Publisher
- MacMillan Press
- Year
- 1992
- ISBN
- 0-333-47494-5
- Description
- Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
]. Soaking the seeds for about 12 hours prior to cooking easily eliminates the apparent toxicity[
183- Title
- Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Facciola. S.
- Publisher
- Kampong Publications
- Year
- 1990
- ISBN
- 0-9628087-0-9
- Description
- Excellent. Contains a very wide range of conventional and unconventional food plants (including tropical) and where they can be obtained (mainly N. American nurseries but also research institutes and a lot of other nurseries from around the world.
,
299- Title
- Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa.
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://www.prota.org
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
]. The cooked seeds are eaten in soups, stews or fermented and made into tempeh[
183- Title
- Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Facciola. S.
- Publisher
- Kampong Publications
- Year
- 1990
- ISBN
- 0-9628087-0-9
- Description
- Excellent. Contains a very wide range of conventional and unconventional food plants (including tropical) and where they can be obtained (mainly N. American nurseries but also research institutes and a lot of other nurseries from around the world.
]. The sprouted seeds are cooked and used in Chinese dishes[
183- Title
- Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Facciola. S.
- Publisher
- Kampong Publications
- Year
- 1990
- ISBN
- 0-9628087-0-9
- Description
- Excellent. Contains a very wide range of conventional and unconventional food plants (including tropical) and where they can be obtained (mainly N. American nurseries but also research institutes and a lot of other nurseries from around the world.
]. The dried seed can be ground into a powder then used as a thickener in soups or can be mixed with cereal flours when making bread. The obovoid seeds are 8 - 11mm long, 6 - 7mm wide and up to 4mm deep[
1555- Title
- Taxonomy, Distribution, and Ecology of the Genus Phaseolus (Leguminosae-Papilionoideae) in North America, Mexico and
- Publication
- SIda, Botanical Mlscellany, No 23
- Author
- Freytag G.F. & Debouck D.G.
- Website
- http://www.brit.org/sida
- Publisher
- Botanical Researeh Institute of Texas
- Year
- 2002
- ISBN
- 1-889878-11-1
- Description
- An excellent, detailed study of the genus Phaseolus, it has been made available on-line as an open access document.
].
Young seedpods - cooked and eaten as a vegetable[
299- Title
- Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa.
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://www.prota.org
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
]. They can be steamed and used as a side dish with rice, or added to soups, stews etc[
183- Title
- Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Facciola. S.
- Publisher
- Kampong Publications
- Year
- 1990
- ISBN
- 0-9628087-0-9
- Description
- Excellent. Contains a very wide range of conventional and unconventional food plants (including tropical) and where they can be obtained (mainly N. American nurseries but also research institutes and a lot of other nurseries from around the world.
]. The pods are 5 - 12cm long and 15 - 25mm wide[
300- Title
- Vegetables in the Tropics
- Publication
-
- Author
- Tindall. H. D.
- Publisher
- MacMillan, Oxford.
- Year
- 1983
- ISBN
- 0-333-24268-8
- Description
- An excellent, in-depth look at the main vegetable crops that can be grown in the Tropics, plus many less well-known plants.
].
Leaves - cooked[
298- Title
- Edible Leaves of the Tropics
- Publication
-
- Author
- Martin. F. W.; Ruberte. R. M. & Meitzner. L. S.
- Publisher
- Echo. USA.
- Year
- 1998
- ISBN
- 0-9653360-1-8
- Description
- A terse guide, giving reasonable detail on the more common leaf crops and brief information on a wide range of lesser known plants.
]. They often have a bitter taste[
183- Title
- Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Facciola. S.
- Publisher
- Kampong Publications
- Year
- 1990
- ISBN
- 0-9628087-0-9
- Description
- Excellent. Contains a very wide range of conventional and unconventional food plants (including tropical) and where they can be obtained (mainly N. American nurseries but also research institutes and a lot of other nurseries from around the world.
].
Medicinal
In traditional Asian medicine the seeds and leaves are valued for their astringent qualities and are used in the diet as a treatment against fever[
240- Title
- Glossary of Indian Medicinal Plants (Including the Supplement).
- Publication
-
- Author
- Chopra. R. N., Nayar. S. L. and Chopra. I. C.
- Publisher
- Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, New Delhi.
- Year
- 1986
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- Very terse details of medicinal uses of plants with a wide range of references and details of research into the plants chemistry. Not for the casual reader.
,
299- Title
- Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa.
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://www.prota.org
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
].
The seeds are powdered and rubbed into small cuts on tumours and abscesses to promote suppuration[
299- Title
- Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa.
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://www.prota.org
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
].
The leaf juice, mixed with coconut oil or castor oil, is given to children to improve their strength; as a treatment for fever and as an emetic[
348- Title
- Medicinal Plants of the Guianas
- Publication
-
- Author
- DeFilipps, R. A.; Maina, S. L.; & Crepin, J.
- Website
- http://botany.si.edu/bdg/medicinal/index.html
- Publisher
- Smithsonian Museum
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- A down-loadable PDF document of a book in pre-publication awaiting illustration. An excellent, if rather terse, guide to the traditional medicinal uses of the plants of the region
].
Agroforestry Uses:
In the more humid tropics, Lima bean is mostly cultivated in home gardens or intercropped with cereals (maize, sorghum), root and tuber crops (yam, cassava) or other crops (e.g. banana, groundnut, sugar cane). Sole cropping is more common in drier areas (Madagascar, Peru). In intercropping, seeds are often placed in the same hill as the companion crop[
299- Title
- Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa.
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://www.prota.org
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
].
Lima bean has been grown as a cover crop and for green manure[
299- Title
- Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa.
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://www.prota.org
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
].
Other Uses
None known
Propagation
Pre-soak the seed for 12 hours in warm water and sow in mid spring in a greenhouse. Germination should take place within 10 days. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out after the last expected frosts.