name: Scarlet Bean
flavor_db_name_variants: scarlet bean
source: foodb
status: draft
food_db_id: Scarlet bean
id: 132
name_scientific: Phaseolus coccineus
description: Phaseolus coccineus, known as runner bean, scarlet runner bean, or multiflora bean, is a plant in the Fabaceae family. Runner beans have also been called "Oregon Lima Bean", and in Nahuatl "ayocotl" or in Spanish "ayocote". It differs from the common bean (P. vulgaris) in several respects: the cotyledons stay in the ground during germination, and the plant is a perennial vine with tuberous roots (though it is usually treated as an annual). This species originated from the mountains of Central America. Most varieties have red flowers and multicolored seeds (though some have white flowers and white seeds), and they are often grown as ornamental plants. The vine can grow to two meters (6 feet) or more in length. The green pods are edible whole before they become fibrous, and the seeds can be used fresh or as dried beans. The starchy roots are still eaten by Central American Indians. In the UK, the flowers are often ignored, or treated as an attractive bonus to cultivating the plant for the beans, whereas in the US the scarlet runner is widely grown for its attractive flowers by people who would never think of eating it. The flower is known as a favourite of Hummingbirds.
itis_id: 26845
wikipedia_id: Phaseolus_coccineus
picture_file_name: 132.jpg
picture_content_type: image/jpeg
picture_file_size: 149783
picture_updated_at: 2012-04-20T09:33:19.000Z
legacy_id: 139
food_group: Pulses
food_subgroup: Beans
food_type: Type 1
created_at: 2011-02-09T00:37:22.000Z
updated_at: 2019-05-14T18:04:17.000Z
creator_id: null
updater_id: null
export_to_afcdb: false
category: specific
ncbi_taxonomy_id: 3886
export_to_foodb: true
public_id: FOOD00132