Herbs or subshrubs, erect, prostrate or climbing. Leaves stipulate, stipules persistent, not prolonged below the point of insertion; pinnately trifoliolate, rarely unifoliolate. Inflorescence axillary, falsely racemose, the flowers in fascicles along the rachis; bracts and bracteoles present. Calyx 5-lobed, 2-lipped; upper lip emarginate, bifid, lower lip 3-lobed. Vexillum round, auriculate, with 2 appendages or with only slight appendages at the side of the claw and a transverse constriction above or with none; wings often following the spiral of the keel; keel often narrow, elongated, the apex beaked and forming the spiral of 1-5 complete turns. Stamens diadelphous, 9+1; anthers subuliform or 5 dorsifixed alternating with 5 basifixed. Ovary 2-many ovuled; style tenuous below, the upper part artilaginous and thickened, curved through 360º, the upper portion glabrous or hairy inside; stigma oblique on the inner side of the style apex or sometimes terminal and subterminal, not penicillate. Pod linear or oblong, compressed or subcylindrical, sometimes beaked. Seeds 3-many, oblong or reniform.

Verdcourt (l.c.) has recently redefined the generic limits of the genus Phaseolus. In this revised and restricted sense the genus contains c.50 species, predominantly American.

Lower Taxa

• Phaseolus coccineus Linn.
• Phaseolus lunatus Linn.
• Phaseolus vulgaris Linn.

Related Synonym(s):

• Phaseolus multiflorus Willd. = Phaseolus coccineus Linn.