Butter bean – Phaseolus lunatus

Lima bean has two main types of growth habit. The perennial form is climbing and trailing plant, up to 2-6 m tall, with axillary flowering only. Annual lima bean is a bushy plant, 0.3-0.9m tall with both terminal and axillary flowering. The leaves are alternate and trifoliate. Leaflets are ovate, acute or acuminate, sparsely pubescent or glabrous, 3-19 cm long x 1-11 cm broad. Inflorescences are 15 cm long and bear 24 white or violet bisexual papilionaceous flowers. The pods are 5-12 cm long, compressed, generally curved, beaked, glabrous or pubescent, dehiscent with 2 to 4 seeds. Seeds are very variable in size, shape and colour. Cultivar groups have been distinguished according to seed differences.