Origin,classification, variation and distribution of lima bean (Phaseolus lunatus L.) in the light of Cuban material

Summary Recent collecting activities have shown that Cuba is rich in plant genetic resources of lima beans. Seed characters of 173 Cuban accessions were measured. Principal component analysis and discriminant factor analysis were used to compare the accessions, which could be classified into seven groups: wild, weed, Potato, Potato-Sieva, Sieva, Sieva-Big Lima, Big Lima. The Sieva type is the principal group of Cuba. It has arrived to Cuba in pre-Columbian times via the Antilles arc. After the Conquest the Potato type was introduced from Central America. Introgressive hybridization with the Sieva group led to the intermediate Potato-Sieva type, whereas the Sieva-Big Lima type resulted from selection toward larger seeds within the Sieva group. The Big Lima type was introduced relatively late. Cuba occupies a key position in the distribution of Lima beans within the Americas and also to the Old World.