Santa Rita Mountain bean facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Santa Rita Mountain bean |
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Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Fabales |
| Family: | Fabaceae |
| Genus: | Phaseolus |
| Species: |
P. ritensis
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| Binomial name | |
| Phaseolus ritensis M.E.Jones
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| Synonyms | |
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The Santa Rita Mountain bean (scientific name: Phaseolus ritensis) is a special plant found in the mountains. It grows in Arizona in the United States, and in Sonora, Chihuahua, Sinaloa, and Nuevo León in Mexico. In Mexico, people sometimes call it "cocolmeca". You can usually find this plant in forests high up in the mountains.
This plant is a type of herb that grows back year after year, which means it's a perennial. It has a very large, strong main root called a taproot that goes deep into the ground. The Santa Rita Mountain bean is a trailing herb, meaning its stems spread out along the ground. Its leaves are interesting because each one has three parts, which is why they are called trifoliate leaves. When it blooms, you can see beautiful pink to lavender flowers.
How People Use This Plant
For a long time, people in the areas where the Santa Rita Mountain bean grows have found it very useful. They value it for both food and medicine.
Food Source
In the past, the green and ripe fruits of this plant were an important food for many communities. They would gather these fruits to eat, especially when other foods were scarce.
Medicinal and Other Uses
The roots of the Santa Rita Mountain bean are also very important. People have used them to make traditional medicines. Besides medicine, the roots can also be used to create a type of glue. They have even been used as an agent to help things ferment, which is a process used in making certain foods and drinks.
