Phaseolus

Phaseolus

{| border="1" cellspacing="0" align="right" cellpadding="2" ! align="center" bgcolor=lightgreen | Phaseolus |- || |- ! align="center" bgcolor=lightgreen | Scientific classification |- | {| align="center" | align=left | Kingdom: || Plantae |- || Division: || Magnoliophyta |- || Class: || Magnoliopsida |- || Order: || Fabales |- || Family: || Fabaceae |- || Subfamily: || Faboideae |- || Genus: || Phaseolus |} |- ! align="center" bgcolor="lightgreen" | Species |- | align="left" | Phaseolus vulgaris Common bean
Phaseolus lunatus Lima bean
Phaseolus coccineus Runner bean
Phaseolus acutifolius Tepary bean
|- |} Phaseolus is the genus to which the common bean, Phaseolus vulgaris belongs. The genus Phaseolus contains 55 species, 5 of which have been domesticated. All Phaseolus species originate in Meso America and have been cultivated for thousands of years by pre-Columbian civilizations.

Today, Phaseolus species are cultivated worldwide in both tropical, semi tropical and temperate climates.

Previous classifications placed in this genus a number of other well known species that have now been removed to genus Vigna, sometimes necessitating a change of species name. For example, older literature refers to the Mung bean as Phaseolus aureus, whereas more modern sources classify it as Vigna radiata.