mescal bean

English

Noun

mescal bean (plural mescal beans)

1. A genus (Dermatophyllum, syn Calia) of shrubs or small trees in the subfamily Faboideae of the pea family Fabaceae, native to southwestern North America from western Texas to New Mexico and Arizona in the United States, and south through Chihuahua, Coahuila and Nuevo León in northern Mexico.

Synonyms

• (Calia): frijolito, mountain-laurel
• (Texas): hot bean

Derived terms

• Arizona mescalbean (Dermatophyllum arizonicum)
• Guadalupe mescalbean (Dermatophyllum gypsophilum)
• Texas mescalbean (Dermatophyllum secundiflorum)