Using a population level sampling approach, leaf material for DNA was collected to silica gel for an average of 10 plants per population and three to six seeds were collected per plant, when available. But those four sites yielded vital material for collections. With funding support from the Smithsonian’s Global Genome Initiative ( ggi.si.edu), my first trip in September took me to Missouri, Illinois, and Indiana where I visited some 15 historically collected sites, finding plants at only four – a success rate that attests to the decline in wild kidney bean populations. The native range of Phaseolus polystachios across the U.S., showing extensive variation in its conservation status (map from ). polystachios may have acquired white mold resistance – and therein lays its potential magic. Through coevolution in its natural habitat, P. White mold co-occurs with Phaseolus polystachios throughout its native range in the eastern and southeastern United States. One such stressor is white mold ( Sclerotinia sclerotiorum), a ubiquitous pathogen and a major problem for nearly 400 plant species, especially legumes. Crop wild relatives are vital reservoirs of genetic diversity, often holding hidden potential as sources for crop improvement in disease resistance, yield, quality, and adaptation to climate change or other ecological or pathological stresses. The North American wild kidney bean is a wild relative of the cultivated Phaseolus lunatus L., commonly known as the Lima bean, which was domesticated from wild ancestors in Meso- and South America. So what makes Phaseolus polystachios so special? While I think all plants are special (ok…I’m biased), this bean is special by association. Unfortunately, urbanization, agricultural development, and habitat destruction have caused a decline in populations, leading to widely varying estimates of conservation status across its distribution.
This perennial vine prefers open areas where it can twine on thickets or climb on slopes with southern or southeastern exposures, but can also be found rarely in forests with open or shallow canopies where it often climbs its way to the top. The North American wild kidney bean, also known as the thicket bean, Phaseolus polystachios (L.) Britton, Sterns, & Poggenb., of the legume family (Fabaceae), is the only native bean species with a (once upon a time) widespread distribution across the eastern half of the United States, from Texas to Connecticut. I had the great opportunity of searching for a bean this autumn that may hold magic in its genes. Whichever it is for you, beans can definitely be both musical and magical. A ripe pod of the North American wild kidney bean, Phaseolus polystachios.
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