Phaseolus filiformis

Jepson 2012, Kearney and Peebles 1969

Duration: Perennial Nativity: Native Lifeform: Vine General: Herbaceous or vining annuals to perennials, stems climbing or twining, erect or prostrate, herbage pubescent with minute, hooked hairs. Leaves: Alternate, pinnate with 3 leaflets, the main axis extended beyond basal leaflets, leaflets 3, ovate-triangular in outline, generally lobed, blades with persistent stipules. Flowers: Pink or purple, large and showy, with banner, wing, and keel petals, corollas incurved, sickle-shaped in bud, keel petals coiled 2-3 turns, calyx lobes much shorter than the tube, stamens 10 with 9 filaments fused, and the uppermost 1 free, pistil 1, style 1, stigma 1, ovary superior, generally 1-chambered, ovules 1-many, infloresences of small clusters of flowers in leaf axils or at stem tips, bracts persistent, peduncles 2-10 cm long. Fruits: Oblong legumes, 2.5-3.5 cm long and 5-7 mm wide, generally curved, surfaces glabrous, fruits dihiscent. Seeds 1-several, reniform, generally hard with smooth surfaces. Ecology: Found in rocky soils on slopes and in canyons or washes, from 1,000-4,000 ft (305-1219 m); flowering year-round. Distribution: Arizona, California, New Mexico, Texas. Notes: This viney pea has large and showy pink flowers and distinctive 3-lobed leaves, the lobes roughly triangular and sometimes quite large, these plants are somewhat difficult to key so try to collect or identify as many parts as possible. Look for this species under P. wrightii in Kearney and Peebles, they note the occurrance of this species in Maricopa, Pinal, and Pima counties in Arizona. Ethnobotany: Specific uses for this species are unknown, but other species in the genus have uses; seeds used for food by being parched, ground, and used for soup or mush. Synonyms: Phaseolus wrightii Editor: LCrumbacher2012 Etymology: Phaseolus comes from the Greek phaselos, "a little boat or light vessel," referring to its similarity to a bean pod, this name became the Latin phaseolus used for a kind of bean, and filiformis means thread-like.