Broad Bean

Names and Synonyms

Common Names

• Broad Bean
• broad-bean
• fava-bean
• broad bean
• faba bean
• horse bean
• Field Bean
• bell-bean
• faba-bean
• fava bean

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Synonyms

• Vicia faba var. equina
• Faba vulgaris var. equina
• Faba vulgaris
• Faba vulgaris var. hortensis
• Faba major var. longisiliqua
• Faba sativa
• Faba bona subsp. equina
• Vicia faba var. pliniana
• Vicia faba subsp. equina
• Vicia equina
• Faba major var. minor
• Vicia porphyrea
• Faba vulgaris var. pliniana
• Faba major var. viridis
• Faba equina
• Vicia pliniana
• Faba vulgaris var. major
• Faba major
• Faba minor
• Faba vulgaris var. viridis
• Orobus faba
• Faba vulgaris var. schlagintweitii
• Vicia vulgaris var. equina
• Faba vulgaris var. paucijuga
• Faba vulgaris var. agrorum
• Faba vulgaris var. minor
• Faba vulgaris var. mazagana
• Faba vulgaris var. arcuata
• Faba vulgaris var. macrocarpa
• Faba vulgaris var. albida
• Faba vulgaris var. windsoriana
• Faba vulgaris var. orbicularis
• Faba vulgaris var. megalosperma
• Faba vulgaris var. albiflora
• Faba vulgaris var. fuliginiflora
• Faba vulgaris var. purpuriflora
• Faba vulgaris var. atriflora
• Faba vulgaris var. humillima
• Faba vulgaris var. flabellata
• Faba vulgaris var. viridinana
• Faba vulgaris var. mediolana
• Faba vulgaris var. violacea
• Faba vulgaris var. superba
• Faba vulgaris var. nebulosa-violacea
• Faba vulgaris var. atropurpurea
• Faba vulgaris var. purpurea
• Faba vulgaris var. notatopurpurea
• Faba vulgaris var. circularis
• Faba vulgaris var. sanguinea
• Faba vulgaris var. aurorea
• Faba vulgaris var. atra
• Faba vulgaris var. nitidissima
• Faba vulgaris var. picea
• Faba vulgaris var. nebulosa
• Faba vulgaris var. quisquilina
• Faba vulgaris var. viridissima
• Faba vulgaris var. macrochloris
• Faba vulgaris var. viridopaca
• Faba vulgaris var. microchloris
• Faba vulgaris var. waterlooensis
• Faba vulgaris var. subviridis
• Faba vulgaris var. macrosperma
• Faba vulgaris var. tockeri

Regional and Traditional Names

Sources: Wikidata, Catalogue of Life

Taxonomical Classification

This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and the phylum Streptophyta, falling under the class Equisetopsida and subclass Magnoliidae. Within the order Fabales, it is classified under the family Fabaceae and the genus Vicia.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Distribution

This plant exhibits a broad geographical distribution across several distinct regions of Europe. In Northern Europe, its presence can be documented within Great Britain. Moving into Middle Europe, the species is found throughout the areas of Czechia and Slovakia. Its reach extends into Southwestern Europe, where it inhabits the islands of the Baleares. Additionally, this medicinal plant is located in the regions of Corse and France.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Ecology

The ecology of Vicia faba is characterized by its broad adaptability across diverse altitudinal gradients, spanning an elevational range from sea level (0 m AMSL) up to a maximum altitude of 3500 m AMSL. While the species is frequently documented in lowland habitats, its ability to colonize environments across such a vast vertical distribution allows it to occupy various ecological niches depending on local climatic conditions. This wide elevational tolerance indicates a robust capacity to withstand varying atmospheric pressures and temperature fluctuations inherent to different mountainous and lowland landscapes.

Elevational range max:

3500 m AMSL

Elevational range min:

0 m AMSL

Habitat :

Lowland

Life history

The life history of Vicia faba is characterized by an annual lifecycle, meaning the plant completes its entire developmental process—from germination to seed production—within a single growing season. As a therophyte, its life form is defined by its strategy of surviving unfavorable periods as seeds, with the majority of its vegetative structure dying back after the reproductive phase is complete. This therophytic nature ensures that the species can effectively colonize seasonal environments by relying on a dormant seed bank to bridge the gap between growing seasons.

Life form :

therophyte

Lifecycle :

annual

Morphology

The morphology of Vicia faba is characterized by its growth form as a non-woody herb and forb, functioning as an independent organism without parasitic tendencies. This terrestrial plant, which is neither aquatic nor epiphytic, exhibits a self-supporting climbing habit rather than acting as a liana or vine. The shoot orientation is distinctly erect, allowing the plant to maintain its structure through its own growth. In terms of stature, the plant's height is variable, with a minimum recorded height of 0.1 m, a mean height of 0.875 m, and a maximum height reaching up to 1.3 m.

Aquatic :

terrestrial

Climber :

self-supporting

Epiphyte :

terrestrial

Growth form :

herb

Growth form :

forb

Parasite :

independent

Plant height max:

1.3 m

Plant height mean:

0.875 m

Plant height min:

0.1 m

Shoot orientation :

erect

Woodiness :

non-woody

Physiology

The physiology of Vicia faba is characterized by a C3 photosynthetic pathway, a common metabolic strategy for temperate legumes that facilitates carbon fixation under standard environmental conditions. As a nitrogen fixer, the plant possesses the specialized ability to convert atmospheric nitrogen into a usable form, enhancing its nutrient uptake efficiency. Its leaf morphology is defined by an elliptic form, with leaf lengths ranging from a minimum of 2 cm to a maximum of 9.5 cm, and leaf widths spanning from 1 cm to 3.5 cm, resulting in a mean leaf size of approximately 92.22 cm². The plant exhibits succulence and maintains a mean Specific Leaf Area (SLA) of 255.85 cm²/g, reflecting its leaf density and resource allocation strategies. Furthermore, Vicia faba is a non-carnivorous species, relying entirely on its photosynthetic and nitrogen-fixing capabilities rather than the capture of prey for nutritional sustenance.

Carnivory :

non-carnivorous

Leaf form :

elliptic

Leaf length max:

9.5 cm

Leaf length min:

2 cm

Leaf size mean:

92.22 cm²

Leaf width max:

3.5 cm

Leaf width min:

1 cm

Nitrogen fixer :

yes

Photosynthetic pathway :

C3

Specific Leaf Area (SLA) mean:

255.85 cm²/g

Succulence :

yes

Reproduction

Reproduction in Vicia faba is primarily a sexual process, as asexual reproduction is absent. The flowering period typically begins in May and concludes in July, featuring distinctive violet-colored flowers. The plant relies on a biotic pollination syndrome, specifically utilizing insects with a strong preference for bees to facilitate pollen transfer, though self-fertilization is also present. Following successful pollination, the plant develops dry fruit in the form of a capsule. These capsules vary in size, with a length ranging from a minimum of 8 cm to a maximum of 20 cm, and a width between 1 cm and 2 cm. The resulting seeds are relatively substantial, characterized by a mean seed length of 25 mm and a mean volume of 690 mm³ (with both minimum and maximum values recorded at 690 mm³). The seed mass is variable, with a mean mass of approximately 0.9016 g, ranging from a minimum of 0.3935 g to a maximum of 1.3405 g. Dispersal of the seeds is categorized as anthropochorous, indicating that human activity plays a role in their distribution.

Dispersal syndrome :

anthropochorous

Flower colour :

violet

Flowering time :

May

Flowering time :

Jul

Fruit dryness :

dry

Fruit length max:

20 cm

Fruit length min:

8 cm

Fruit type :

capsule

Fruit width max:

2 cm

Fruit width min:

1 cm

Pollination syndrome :

insect

Pollination syndrome :

bee

Pollination syndrome :

biotic

Reproduction asexual :

absent

Seed length mean:

25 mm

Seed mass max:

1.3405 g

Seed mass mean:

0.901604762 g

Seed mass min:

0.3935 g

Seed volume max:

690 mm³

Self fertilization :

present

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Plant Parts

Vicia faba has 4 reported plant parts identified across 16 scientific publications and several other databases that are studied for medicinal purposes. The most consistently reported plant part include root, seed, stem, leaf.

Root

1. Mutation research
2. Journal of electron microscopy
3. Acta biochimica Polonica
4. Genes & genetic systems
5. Environmental and molecular mutagenesis

Seed

1. The British journal of nutrition
2. Archivos latinoamericanos de nutricion
3. Analytical biochemistry
4. Advances in neurology
5. Bioscience, biotechnology, and biochemistry

Stem

1. Journal of alternative and complementary medicine (New York, N.Y.)
2. Folia histochemica et cytobiologica

Leaf

1. Acta biochimica Polonica

Chemicals

Vicia faba has 359 reported phytochemicals identified across 16 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include Convicine, Vicine, sucrose, methionine, K+.

Convicine

1. Dr. Duke
2. Plant foods for human nutrition (Dordrecht, Netherlands)
3. Food chemistry
4. GM crops
5. Toxicology

Vicine

1. Dr. Duke
2. Plant foods for human nutrition (Dordrecht, Netherlands)
3. Food chemistry
4. GM crops
5. Chemical research in toxicology

sucrose

1. Journal of experimental botany
2. The Plant cell
3. Zeitschrift fur Lebensmittel-Untersuchung und -Forschung
4. Planta
5. Plant physiology

methionine

1. Dr. Duke
2. The British journal of nutrition
3. Annales de la nutrition et de l'alimentation
4. Reproduction, nutrition, development
5. Die Nahrung

K+

1. The Journal of membrane biology
2. The Journal of general physiology
3. Biochemical and biophysical research communications
4. The Plant journal : for cell and molecular biology
5. Planta

L-dopa

1. Dr. Duke
2. Plant foods for human nutrition (Dordrecht, Netherlands)
3. GM crops
4. Bollettino della Societa italiana di biologia sperimentale
5. Advances in neurology

lysine

1. Dr. Duke
2. Die Nahrung
3. Annales de la nutrition et de l'alimentation
4. Reproduction, nutrition, development
5. Plant physiology

Divicine

1. Dr. Duke
2. Chemical research in toxicology
3. Poultry science
4. Folia haematologica (Leipzig, Germany : 1928)
5. Toxicological sciences : an official journal of the Society of Toxicology

RAFFINOSE

1. Dr. Duke
2. GM crops
3. Roczniki Panstwowego Zakladu Higieny
4. Zeitschrift fur Lebensmittel-Untersuchung und -Forschung
5. European journal of biochemistry

STARCH

1. Planta
2. Plant foods for human nutrition (Dordrecht, Netherlands)
3. Reproduction, nutrition, development
4. Bollettino della Societa italiana di biologia sperimentale
5. The Plant journal : for cell and molecular biology

Activities

Vicia faba has 577 reported activities identified across 16 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Antibacterial, Antioxidant, Anticancer, Antimicrobial, Mutagenic.

Antibacterial

1. Dr. Duke
2. FEMS microbiology letters
3. AMB Express

Antioxidant

1. Dr. Duke
2. AMB Express
3. Gerontology

Anticancer

1. Dr. Duke
2. Journal of alternative and complementary medicine (New York, N.Y.)

Antimicrobial

1. Dr. Duke
2. FEMS microbiology letters

Mutagenic

1. Dr. Duke
2. Princess Takamatsu symposia

11B-HSD-Inhibitor

1. Dr. Duke

5-Alpha-Reductase-Inhibitor

1. Dr. Duke

5-Lipoxygenase-Inhibitor

1. Dr. Duke

ACE-Inhibitor

1. Dr. Duke

Abortifacient

1. Dr. Duke

Conditions

Vicia faba has 29 reported investigations on conditions identified across 16 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported conditions include favism, Parkinson's disease, breast cancer, colorectal cancer, Alzheimer's disease.

Favism

1. Plant foods for human nutrition (Dordrecht, Netherlands)
2. Food chemistry
3. Chemical research in toxicology
4. Bollettino della Societa italiana di biologia sperimentale
5. Analytical biochemistry

Parkinson's disease

1. GM crops
2. Advances in neurology
3. Journal of neurology, neurosurgery, and psychiatry
4. Antioxidants (Basel, Switzerland)

Breast cancer

1. Chemistry & biodiversity
2. Phytomedicine : international journal of phytotherapy and phytopharmacology

Colorectal cancer

1. Chemistry & biodiversity
2. Gut

Alzheimer's disease

1. Scientific reports

Favism

1. Journal of perinatology : official journal of the California Perinatal Association

Fusarium infections

1. Current medical mycology

Gram-negative bacteria

1. FEMS microbiology letters

Gram-positive bacteria

1. FEMS microbiology letters

Plasmodium falciparum malaria

1. Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene

Preparations

Vicia faba has 34 reported preparations identified across 16 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported preparations include protein isolate, Extracts from roots, Protein isolate, Vicia faba S10, Vicia faba diet.

Protein isolate

1. The British journal of nutrition
2. Food chemistry
3. Annals of nutrition & metabolism

Extracts from roots

1. Genes & genetic systems

Protein isolate

1. Die Nahrung

Vicia faba s10

1. Mutation research

Vicia faba diet

1. Nutrition and metabolism

Vicia faba extract

1. Food research international (Ottawa, Ont.)

Water extracts

1. Antioxidants (Basel, Switzerland)

[14c]glucose-infiltrated vicia faba leaf tissue

1. The Biochemical journal

Acetone extract

1. Scientific reports

Acetylated and nonacetylated protein fractions

1. Annals of nutrition & metabolism