Macroptilium lathyroides (L.) Urb.

Wild Bush Bean

Herb

Annual

Vascular

Wild Bush Bean is an introduced herbaceous annual in the Bean family (Fabaceae). It is native to tropical America but has become naturalized worldwide in the tropics and subtropics. In Alabama it has been found in the coastal areas of Mobile and Baldwin Counties. Wild Bush Bean occurs on roadsides, in pastures, in lawns, and in disturbed wetlands. It is an annual with a tap root. Stems are erect to ascending or sprawling, green in color, and glabrate or short appressed pubescent. Leaves are alternate, petiolate, and pinnately trifoliate. Leaflets are ovate to elliptic or oblong, entire, and sparsely pubescent below. Flowers are produced in long pedunculated pseudo-racemes from the axis of the leaves. The calyx is greenish-red and tubular with 5 lobes. The corolla is papilionaceous and dark red-purple in color. The wings exceed the other petals and the keel is spirally twisted. The fruit is a pubescent linear legume with 20-30 seed. Wild Bush Bean was introduced in Florida as a livestock forage, green manure, and cover crop. It has since spread to Georgia and Alabama.—A. Diamond

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Not Native FACU (NWPL)

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