Overview of the genus Phaseolus by Alfonso Delgado and Susana Gama Lopez (in Spanish)

In a recent issue of Revista Digital Universitaria of UNAM (National Autonomous University of Mexico), Alfonso Delgado and Susana Gama Lopez present – in Spanish – a synopsis of the ecological distribution of the genus Phaseolus in Mexico, the core distribution area of this genus.

A few salient points:

1/ There are currently 52 species distributed in the Mexican territory of which 31 are endemic. The highest species richness is concentrated in the staes of Durango, Jalisco, and Oaxaca, the lowest in the Yucatan peninsula, Tabasco, and Tlaxcala.

2/ The majority of species (49) grow in temperate to cold environments, subhumid to subarid, in juniper, pine, pine-oak, and oak forests.

3/ Lima bean (P. lunatus), distributed from the north of Argentina to Mexico, has the broadest ecological distribution as it occurs in  14 types of vegetation, more than any other Phaseolus species.

4/ Species diversity of Phaseolus will probably affected because the environments in which species currently are distributed will suffer the brunt of temperature increases: see point 2/ above.

5/ Ex situ conservation efforts of Phaseolus germplasm in Mexico include those organized by INIFAP (some 30,000 accessions) and SAGARPA (Centro Nacional de Recursis Geneticos in Tepatitlan de Morelos, Jalisco)

6/ In situ conservation projects include the MILPA project, which was funded by the McKnight Foundation, and the program of ANPs (Areas Naturales Protegidas)

7/ One species – Phaseolus leptophyllus – appears to be extinct. It was described first in the 18th centure in mountains near Chilpancingo in the state of Guerrero, but has not been collected since.

Have you connected with your inner bean today?

 (Photo: UC ANR: (c) The Regents of the University of California)

Why today? Because today is National Bean Day! Frankly, I did not know such a Day existed but it is a big deal. For example, check out the following:

a) Why the 6th of January: to commemorate the death of Gregor Mendel, the founder of genetics, on this day in 1884?? It is usually overlooked that Mendel conducted his initial experiments not only on pea but also on beans, as described in his seminal paper.

An alternative explanation, which I favor, is that January 6 is Epiphany Day, commemorating the visit of the three Magi or Kings of the Orient. In some parts of the world, a special “King Cake” is baked for that day. According to WIkipedia, “A little bean was traditionally hidden in it, a custom taken from the Saturnalia in the Roman Empire: the one who stumbled upon the bean was called “king of the feast.” In the galette des Rois, since 1870 the beans have been replaced first by porcelain and now by plastic figurines. The gâteau des Rois is known as Rosca de Reyes in Mexico. ”

“It is a popular food item during the Christmas season (Christmas Eve to Epiphany) in Belgium, France, Quebec and Switzerland (galette or gâteau des Rois or galette des rois), Portugal (bolo rei), Spain, and Spanish America (roscón or rosca de reyes and tortell in Catalonia), Greece and Cyprus (vasilopita) and Bulgaria (banitsa).”

In this country, it is important in New Orleans, I suppose because of its French heritage.

b) Announcements of National Bean Day:
https://www.google.com/search?q=National+Bean+Day
not to be confused with National Jelly Bean Day on April 22!

c) A bean menu for the day: breakfast, lunch and dinner:
http://blogs.westword.com/cafesociety/2010/01/happy_national_bean_day.php

d) At the University of California: UC variety research keeps California in lead for Lima beans

http://ow.ly/GSMSQ

Enjoy your “bean day”, whether it is a King cake or hearty bean dish.

PG

(Lima) Bean Work Makes the Dream Work

From the lima bean team: left to right: Vanessa Mora, KarlaAnne Sisson, Sarah Dohle, and Antonia Palkovic. Groundbreaking work: the first lima bean recombinant inbred population (n ~ 300) segregating for Lygus and nematode tolerance, determinacy, seed size, and who knows what else! Planted for the first time in Summer 2014 in the field at UC Davis:

The strip of yellow plants in the middle of the sea of lima bean plants is actually common bean planted as a border (due to earliness and mite damage). Photo: Sarah Dohle, August 16, 2014.