Phaseolus vulgaris, the common bean, is a herbaceous annual plant, grown worldwide for its edible beans, used both dry and green. The leaf is occasionally used as a leaf vegetable, and the straw is used for fodder. The common bean is a highly variable species with a long history of cultivation. Botanically, the common bean is classified as a dicotyledon. Beans are legumes, so they acquire their nitrogen through an association with rhizobia: species of nitrogen-fixing bacteria. There are a large number of commercial varieties, classified into bush and pole varieties. Pods contain 4–6 beans, which are smooth, plump, kidney-shaped, and up to 1.5 cm long, ranging widely in color. The commercial production of beans is well-distributed worldwide, with countries in Asia, Africa, Europe, Oceania, South and North America all among the top bean growers. Brazil and India are the largest producers of dry beans while China produces, by far, the largest quantity of green beans, almost as much as the rest of the top ten growers combined. 23 million tonnes of dry common beans and 17.1 million tonnes of green beans were grown worldwide in 2010. The other major type of bean is the broad bean. Wikipedia [ - ]

Phaseolus vulgaris, the common bean, is a herbaceous annual plant, grown worldwide for its... [ + ]