''Phaseolus ritensis'' is a plant

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

native to

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 ...

, Sonora, Chihuahua, Sinaloa and Nuevo León. Common names include " Santa Rita Mountain bean" (in US) and " cocolmeca" in Mexico. It grows in forested areas in the mountains. ''Phaseolus ritensis'' is a perennial herb with a large woody

taproot A taproot is a large, central, and dominant root from which other roots sprout laterally. Typically a taproot is somewhat straight and very thick, is tapering in shape, and grows directly downward. In some plants, such as the carrot, the taproo ...

. It is a trailing herb with

trifoliate The following is a list of terms which are used to describe leaf morphology in the description and taxonomy of plants. Leaves may be simple (a single leaf blade or lamina) or compound (with several leaflets). The edge of the leaf may be regular ...

leaves and pink to lavender flowers.M.E.Jones, Contributions of Western Botany. 12: 14. 1908

Uses

The plant is widely valued for both food and medicine throughout much of its native range. Green and ripe fruits served as an important food source in times past. Roots are the source of medicine, glue, and a fermenting agent.Pennington, CW. 1963. The Tarahumar of Mexico, their material culture. University of Utah Press, Salt Lake City

References

ritensis Flora of Mexico Flora of Arizona Flora of Sonora Flora of Chihuahua (state) Flora of Sinaloa Flora of Nuevo León Medicinal plants {{Phaseoleae-stub