I grew some "pea-beans" from Tuckers this year - they were OK but
not delicious as green beans, but very good as dried ones (pretty,
too). And they have ripened BETTER than borlotti beans.

I suspect that they are a variety of lablab bean, but can find
very little that clarifies what on earth the taxonomy of that
generic grouping is believed to be this week (yes, I know that
Lablab has been subsumed in Dolichos, and Dolichos has been split
from Phaseolus, but that's all), or how to distinguish Dolichos
from Phaseolus at all reliably.

This is a bit surprising, considering the economic importance of
those genera. It is possible that I have failed to find the
kernel of information in the morass of dross that is the Internet,
but my books aren't much more use.

Does anyone else grow lablab in the UK and, if so, of what type?

And, since I grew them without trouble or special attention in
the UK, and they have been grown in India since time immemorial,
why on earth were they not imported here as a staple before?
They aren't a lot better than broad beans for that, but are as
good.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

On 11/10/08 12:24, in article ,
" wrote:


I grew some "pea-beans" from Tuckers this year - they were OK but
not delicious as green beans, but very good as dried ones (pretty,
too). And they have ripened BETTER than borlotti beans.

I suspect that they are a variety of lablab bean, but can find
very little that clarifies what on earth the taxonomy of that
generic grouping is believed to be this week (yes, I know that
Lablab has been subsumed in Dolichos, and Dolichos has been split
from Phaseolus, but that's all), or how to distinguish Dolichos
from Phaseolus at all reliably.

This is a bit surprising, considering the economic importance of
those genera. It is possible that I have failed to find the
kernel of information in the morass of dross that is the Internet,
but my books aren't much more use.

Does anyone else grow lablab in the UK and, if so, of what type?

We grow Lablab purpureus here, Nick but not as a food. I really haven't
noticed that they get a lot of beans on them but it's grown in Tresco and I
can see if I can raise an answer from there about it, if you like.

And, since I grew them without trouble or special attention in
the UK, and they have been grown in India since time immemorial,
why on earth were they not imported here as a staple before?
They aren't a lot better than broad beans for that, but are as
good.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

I imagine you've seen this:
http://www.pfaf.org/database/plants....blab+purpureus

--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon
(new website online)

In article ,
Sacha wrote:

I imagine you've seen this:
http://www.pfaf.org/database/plants....blab+purpureus

No, but I gave up on that Web site a long time ago! I had found
all of the information that it has - it's not a bad collation of
the easily available information, but that's all that Web site is.
And, where the 'common knowledge' is wrong, it is wrong, too.

It doesn't really help with my questions, most especially the
identification and why it never reached northern Europe in
antiquity. I am not convinced about the day length arguments, as
most of its relatives (and the one I grew) flower depending more
on temperature than day length. There may be an effect, but I
doubt that it is a major one in this case.

Oh, and it seems that Lablab has now moved back out of Dolichos,
at least at the time that many Web pages were written. Whether
that is true, today, in the actual academic articles, I don't know.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

In article ,
Sacha wrote:

Does anyone else grow lablab in the UK and, if so, of what type?

We grow Lablab purpureus here, Nick but not as a food. I really haven't
noticed that they get a lot of beans on them but it's grown in Tresco and I
can see if I can raise an answer from there about it, if you like.

Sorry I missed this - I have been inflicted with a replacement system,
and it's a pain to use.

Thanks for the offer, but it's probably only worth asking if you
bump into somebody appropriate. I am pretty sure that the bean I
grew was not the 'normal' decorative lablab, as the flowers were
the right colour but in very small racemes and not spectacular.
From what I have read, there are a heck of a lot of varieties,
some of which go back to antiquity.

I may ask Tuckers if they have any further information. But I can
recommend their seeds of it (whatever they are) to anyone who wants
to grow climbing beans for eating dry. They are excellent - and
preserve some bicolouration after cooking!


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.