Macroptilium lathyroides seed

LATIN NAME: Macroptilium lathyroides

COMMON NAME: Phasey Bean, Wild Bushbean

The phasey bean is a tough and generous legume of the tropics, and it has fed the soil and the livestock of the warm world for a long time. It grows as an herbaceous annual or short-lived perennial, reaching up to a metre, with erect or climbing stems, trifoliate leaves and, in summer, clusters of small, pea-like flowers, usually red or purple, followed by slender pods. It is a close relative of siratro, and like it, it is a nitrogen-fixing legume that enriches the soil as it grows, and it is used as a forage and a cover crop in the tropics, valued for its toughness and its generous growth.

The phasey bean belongs to the pea family, Fabaceae, and it is native to the tropical and subtropical areas of Central and South America. It is the type species of the genus Macroptilium, and it has been introduced to many tropical regions as a forage and cover crop, thriving in the warm, moist lowlands where its tough, leafy growth has made it a dependable plant for pastures.

Scientific Research & Plant Biotechnology

The phasey bean has a genuine and growing place in agricultural research. As a nitrogen-fixing legume of the tropics, it has been studied in pasture and forage research, and researchers have examined its growth, its yields and its value as forage for livestock, as well as its use as a cover crop to improve and protect the soil. The plant has also been studied for its value in soil improvement, since its nitrogen-fixing roots enrich the ground, and researchers have examined its use in the restoration of degraded land and in sustainable farming in the tropics. As the type species of the genus Macroptilium, which also includes the important pasture legume siratro, it has also been studied in botanical research on the genus and its relationships. For a legume of such practical value, the phasey bean has a steady and growing record of research.

Ecological & Economic Value & Wide Applications

Ecologically, the phasey bean is a generous plant of the tropical field. Its pea-like flowers feed bees and other pollinators, and its nitrogen-fixing roots enrich the soil, improving the ground for the plants that follow, while it covers and holds the soil as it grows.

Its economic value is real in the tropics. It is grown as forage for livestock, as a cover crop to protect and improve the soil and as a green manure, and it is valued for its toughness and its ability to grow in poor conditions. For a grower, the phasey bean is a valuable and dependable legume, and for a gardener it brings pea-like flowers and the quiet work of feeding the soil. The seeds are easy — sow them in warm, moist compost in spring, keep them in a warm, sunny spot and water them gently, and they’ll sprout within a couple of weeks, growing on quickly into a leafy, flowering legume that enriches the ground as it grows.