''Phaseolus angustissimus'' (common name slimleaf bean) is a perennial, herbaceous vine of the
Fabaceae (legume) family, native to the
American Southwest
The Southwestern United States, also known as the American Southwest or simply the Southwest, is a geographic and cultural region of the United States that generally includes Arizona, New Mexico, and adjacent portions of California, Colorado ...
(particularly,
Arizona
Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...
,
New Mexico
)
, population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano)
, seat = Santa Fe
, LargestCity = Albuquerque
, LargestMetro = Tiguex
, OfficialLang = None
, Languages = English, Spanish ( New Mexican), Navajo, Ke ...
, and
Texas
Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by ...
), as well as northern
Sonora, Mexico.
It is a close relative of the cultivated tepary bean (''
P. acutifolius''), also native to the same region.
Description
''Phaseolus angustissimus'' is a perennial, herbaceous vine (to 2 meters) which trails along rocky, eroded hillsides.
Its leaflets are distinctively narrow and waxy, it has a very deep, slightly thickened taproot, its flowers are magenta to purple and face upwards from the ground, and its pods are small and curved, yielding 2-4 seeds with a ridged seed coat and hypogeal germination.
''P. angustissimus'' has shown freezing resistance in field trials in Canada.
Uses
The
Zuni people rub the crushed leaves, blossoms and powdered root on a child's body as a strengthener.
[Stevenson, Matilda Coxe 1915 Ethnobotany of the Zuni Indians. SI-BAE Annual Report #30 (p. 85)]
References
angustissimus
Flora of Northern America
Plants used in traditional Native American medicine
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