Trailing Fuzzy-Bean

Appearance

It is an annual to perennial herbaceous vine, up to 3 m long, with light pubescence on the stem, leaves, and pods. The trifoliate leaves are often divided into three lobes, in a fiddle-shape . They possess unique pea-like pink-purple flowers , with a gradually curving keel petal . The fruit of ''S. helvola'' is up to 10 cm long, containing shiny black seeds with hairy coats originating from the inner surface of the pods. This seed coating lends the seeds buoyancy in water, which is thought to have contributed to its dispersal along major aquatic routes.

''S. helvola'' is primarily diagnosed by its keel petal ; long, cylindrical pods; and highly lobed leaves .

Habitat

This bean grows in many habitat types, including disturbed areas, where it is a pioneer species, taking hold in areas where few other plants grow, and in several types of soil, especially sandy types, and it can grow in dry or moist conditions. It can often be found in seaside dune habitat, where arbuscular mycorrhizae help it withstand saline conditions.

Cultural

''S. helvola'' is a wild relative of the cultivated common bean , and could serve as an important model for understanding how herbaceous legumes adapt to different stressful environments. Specifically, ''S. helvola'' has coastal populations which show high salinity tolerance due to up-regulated genes.