Phaseolus germplasm exploration in New Mexico and the Trans-Pecos of Texas, USA Sept 19 – Sept 30, 2025 Population SD-7 of Phaseolus acutifolius A. Gray on the eastern slope of Sierra Diablo above Victorio Canyon, Culberson County, Texas. The density of the population (arrows point to individual plants) may be an indicator of the quality of the habitat (photo credit: S. Dohle). 2 Report on a germplasm collecting mission for Phaseolus beans in southern New Mexico and the Trans-Pecos region of Texas, USA Daniel G. Debouck1, Sarah Dohle2, Gabriela Guerrero-Florez3, Timothy Porch4, Richard Pratt5 and Luis Guillermo Santos-Meléndez1,6 1 Genetic Resources Program, International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT), Palmira, Colombia 2 Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture, Pullman, WA, USA 3 Washington State University, Department of Crop and Soil Science, Pullman, WA, USA 4 Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture, Mayagüez, Puerto Rico 5 New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM, USA 6 alphabetical order Abstract Given the poor representation of wild bean accessions from the Trans-Pecos region of Texas in genebanks (seven accessions from two localities), a nine-day germplasm exploration was carried out in an area covering the counties of Doña Ana, Otero and Eddy in New Mexico and El Paso, Culberson and Jeff Davis in Texas. Twenty-three populations were collected, out of which 17 were of wild tepary, three of P. filiformis, two of P. angustissimus and one of P. grayanus. Seed, herbarium and soil samples were collected for all populations. INTRODUCTION The drying of the western United States (Wells 1966, Van Devender & Riskind 1979, McKinnon et al. 2021, Chen et al. 2025) raises several challenges for agriculture that include competition with rapidly growing urban areas for quality fresh water. Farmers and agronomists are thus looking for crops either with high cash return (as pecan, Carya illinoiensis) that can pay for the water supply, or crops requiring less water while securing a sustainable income, this last option likely lasting on the long run. Not by chance, the journal Science produced a special issue (vol. 388, issue 6752) in June 2025 on “Plants and heat”; the potential of wild plants in adaptive strategies to help crops tolerate higher temperatures is highlighted therein (Yeaman 2025), and wild crop relatives are an obvious first front for investigations. While there are options for “new” crops (Silber-Coats et al. 2025) – several of them coming from dry areas of the Old World, one should remember that agriculture may have been practiced in the Southwest as early as 2,500 years before present (Hard et al. 1996, Kaplan & Lynch 1999) and perhaps even much earlier (Swarts et al. 2017). Among the food crops raised by the Amerindians were: agave, amaranth, chili pepper, corn, husk tomato, prickly pear cactus, pumpkin, sunflower and tepary bean (Carter 1945, Nabhan 1985, Harlan 1992). Tepary bean, almost since its entry in Western science (Freeman 1912, Garcia 1917), has been identified as being tolerant to high temperature and drought (Nabhan 1979, Lin & Markhart 1996, Barrera et al. 2024). Many positive attributes of tepary providing resilience to abiotic and biotic stresses (Bornowski et al. 2023, others reviewed in Debouck et al. 2025b) motivated breeders to use interspecific hybridization with common bean since 1981 (Alvarez et al. 1981), perhaps even since 1956 (Honma 3 1956), but with difficulties (e.g. embryo rescue and in vitro culture), given the genetic distance between the two species and large inversions on several chromosomes (Pratt 1983, Moghaddam et al. 2021), in spite of the high level of synteny (Gujaria-Verma et al. 2016, Moghaddam et al. 2021). While breeding methodologies continue to improve (e.g. the congruity backcross: Haghighi & Ascher 1988, or the use of P. parvifolius Freytag as bridge: Barrera et al. 2018, 2022), there is also the possibility to breed tepary as an independent, rediscovered crop, namely through correcting some problems in plant architecture or cooking traits (Porch et al. 2024). But such improvement is based on the availability of and knowledge about a wide genetic reservoir, a condition that has allowed for the significant genetic progress of common bean over the last forty years (Voysest-Voysest 2000, Debouck et al. 2020, Parker et al. 2023), but not fulfilled in the case of tepary bean. To save time tepary breeders should look first at diversity existing in the primary gene pool, that is, first in landraces of this crop. The in situ gene pool of tepary bean has contracted considerably since the 16th century (Nabhan & Felger 1978, Pratt & Nabhan 1988). Bean breeders have as options, but with increasing complexity, the use of its wild forms (primary gene pool), the little-known gene pool of P. montanus Brandegee (synonym P. parvifolius, secondary gene pool) (Dohle et al. 2019), the gene pool of common bean (tertiary gene pool) (Pratt 1983), and more recently gene editing (Xu et al. 2020, Parker et al. 2023). The wild forms of tepary bean – often reported as var. acutifolius and var. tenuifolius – are naturally distributed from the southwestern USA down to Michoacán, Mexico (Freytag & Debouck 2002). The sister species P. montanus thrives from Arizona, USA down to Jalapa, Guatemala (Debouck 2021). Increasing the number and availability of wild tepary germplasm from underrepresented areas of the Southwest are our main current objectives (Debouck et al. 2023 and 2025a,b). Our previous collections in 2023 and 2024 have expanded the availability of wild Phaseolus species from their northern distribution, but large gaps still remain. Reports about the presence of wild teparies in Texas Wild teparies have been reported in Texas in several works but with distribution confined to the region west of the Pecos River (Trans-Pecos) (Coulter 1891, Turner 1959, Correll & Johnston 1970, Freytag & Debouck 2002, Turner et al. 2003, Powell et al. 2018). In contrast with the other cultivated bean species, tepary bean has been known first by its wild form from far-west Texas and this wild plant thrives in other regions of the Southwest. The type of P. acutifolius is a native plant of Texas The cultivated bean species known as tepary bean was taxonomically named first after its wild ancestor (Freeman 1913). It is a collection made by Charles Wright (#1311) in a “Mountain valley, thirty miles east of El Paso; Sept . . .” (Gray 1852, p. 44) during a survey of the U.S. – Mexico border. The type or reference specimen of P. acutifolius is kept in the Gray Herbarium at Harvard University (as GH-00064068). This gathering was completed on October 13, 1849, on the return trip of the survey along the northerly wagon road (Wooton 1906, Geiser 1935, Johnston 1940, Powell et al. 2018). In the notes left by Charles Wright, it was identified as “Galactia” (Johnston 1940). As it can be seen on a map published by the US Geological Survey in 1896, the road going eastwards from El Paso (north of the modern US route 62/180) had Hueco Tanks as the first and necessary stop to provide people and beasts with water (Hinckley 1950). The unique geological features of the place resulting in permanent water has attracted humans for millennia as noted by Van Devender and 4 Riskind (1979). For future studies in taxonomy and genomics, it is important to secure germplasm from the type locality. Wild Phaseolus germplasm from Texas existing in USDA and CIAT genebanks In Table 1 the synonymous identifiers and taxon of accessions of wild beans present in the genebanks of USDA and CIAT are reported; they reflect what existed prior to this exploration. Table 1 – Accessions from the Trans-Pecos, TX, existing in two genebanks in July 2025. Rec # Collector and No. Taxon USDA genebank CIAT genebank 1 Norvell 390-4 acutifolius v. tenuifolius PI 535 240 G40 077 2 Norvell 399-B-5 acutifolius v. tenuifolius PI 535 241 G40 078 3 Norvell 412-4 acutifolius v. tenuifolius PI 638 835 G40 195A 4 Norvell 412-4 acutifolius v. tenuifolius PI 638 835 G40 195B 5 Norvell 423 A-5 acutifolius v. acutifolius G40 196 6 Norvell 432-6 acutifolius v. acutifolius PI 640 945 G40 197 7 Norvell 433-7 acutifolius v. acutifolius G40 198 8 Norvell 412-4 parvifolius PI 638 835 G40 195 9 RD Worthington 6814 filiformis PI 535 310 G40 663 The records in Table 1 drew our attention to three facts. First, the case of P. texensis (the tenth bean accession from Texas when consulting CIAT genebank database at https://www.genesys- pgr.org/a/overview/v2ZW8lQwlep) is out of the scope of this work (and not included here), because it is a species belonging to the Pedicellati section of the genus and endemic to the Edwards Plateau of Texas (Delgado-Salinas & Carr 2007), leaving us with three species (P. acutifolius, P. filiformis and P. parvifolius) and nine accessions to consider. Second, the collection made by Richard Worthington (#6814) 0.65 miles NW from the top of Ranger Peak in the Franklin Mountains is presented in the CIAT genebank as the material of the type locality of P. wrightii Asa Gray (synonym of P. filiformis). The original description of P. wrightii stated: “Declivity of a mountain, near El Paso; Sept.” (Gray 1852, p. 43). One could anticipate a place very near to the southern tip of the South Franklin Mountains where the city of El Paso is now encroaching, Third, the seven accessions of P. acutifolius and that of P. parvifolius are all reported as collections made at Fort Davis, Davis Mountains, in Jeff Davis County, by Oliver Norvell. The accessions G40 195, G40 196 and G40 197 were reported as collected on January 1 of 1982, 1953 and 1955, respectively. It seems a bit strange that three different taxa of the Acutifolii section (Freytag & Debouck 2002) are found in the same place, and on the same day each year, and at such a late date (frost!). While the documentation of these accessions may need a thorough review of the original passport data, it was concluded that Fort Davis should be included in the routing of the 2025 exploration. And worth mentioning: in this group only accession G40 196 was found resistant to the common bean weevil (Porch & Beaver 2022). But given these numbers and localities (only two!) versus the potential locations in this large region (see Table 2 below), one could conclude that for wild beans the Trans-Pecos region of Texas is underrepresented in genebanks. Given the prospects set forth for tepary breeding, there is justification to collect wild teparies in the Trans-Pecos region of Texas. Following an approach put in practice in 2023 (Debouck et al. 2023) and 2024 (Debouck et al. 2025a), sampling of nodules, rhizosphere and soil in close contact with the wild bean root systems https://www.genesys-pgr.org/a/overview/v2ZW8lQwlep https://www.genesys-pgr.org/a/overview/v2ZW8lQwlep 5 was conducted during this exploration, because of implications of soil warming for plant-microbe interactions (Laine & Leino 2025). In addition, and in view of future tepary breeding, there is interest in determining the iron and zinc content at the collection sites. Objectives of the mission • To increase the collections of USDA and CIAT genebanks with new accessions of P. acutifolius and as possible of P. filiformis and P. angustissimus. • To find seed of the type of P. acutifolius (actually lectotype kept in the Gray Herbarium of Harvard). • To collect associated microorganisms and soil samples in the area in close contact with the roots of the germplasm collections. MATERIALS AND METHODS Implements used in the field work were described previously (Debouck 1988), to which the team found useful to add a pair of walkie-talkies for communications; plastic vials and zip-lock bags were used for root nodules and soil samples, respectively. The most important methodological step for germplasm collection in desert areas is preparation. It consists of three steps: 1: to identify and locate populations of target taxa; 2: to monitor the rainfall situation at the locations previously identified in order to predict flowering and pod setting times; and 3: to check access in terms of both necessary permissions and physical conditions e.g. road conditions. In the methodological approach, it is important first to define the concept of population, that was used during preparation and during the field work. For us, a population is a group of plants belonging to the same taxon and growing at a location defined by Global Positioning System (GPS) coordinates and having unique traits because of the climate and soil characteristics at that place. Over dozens or hundreds of years, these plants have evolved under these conditions, developing unique genetic and physiological attributes. In terms of distance, because the distribution of bean species in the wild is disjunct (Freytag & Debouck 2002), populations occupying one hectare separate from each other by 2-5 kilometers; differences between them can be revealed by molecular markers (Freyre et al. 1996, González-Torres et al. 2004, Zizumbo-Villarreal et al. 2005). Eviatar Nevo and co-workers have found differences over short distances in another crop from dry areas, the wild barley Hordeum spontaneum, with help of several molecular markers (Nevo et al. 1981, 1983). Further, in the case of wild teparies, gene flow is likely to be limited because long-distance transport of pollen or seed is improbable. On the one hand, the reproductive system of tepary is cleistogamy, as the anthers dehisce one day before anthesis (Lord & Kohorn 1986, Waines & Barnhart 2001). On the other hand, significant permanent streams that could carry pods or seeds downstream are few and not consistent with the distribution of wild teparies, mostly a west to east pattern from the Baboquivari Mountains in Arizona to the Davis Mountains in Texas (Nabhan & Felger 1978, Debouck 2019). At a particular location, one could expect to find the progeny of one or very few lineages. The sampling strategy will thus be to visit a high number of widespread locations and in those places to collect plants of independent lineages and not the descendants of a single plant, for example by collecting plants at 6 the extreme parts of the location (Marshall & Brown 1983, Brown & Marshall 1995). And the collectors of wild teparies will be particularly alert for changes in vegetation and geology of prospective locations. Populations of Phaseolus beans reported as herbarium specimens from the Trans-Pecos area. Starting from NMSU in Las Cruces, given the size of territory to be sampled, the team considered the Trans-Pecos in a more restricted sense than the area considered by other authors (Turner et al, 2003, Powell et al. 2018): our area of work was the part of Texas west of the Pecos River, excluding the seven counties bordering the eastern bank of the Pecos River. Using that criterion, the kind and number of populations from compilations of Herbaria by personal visits (86, since 1978: Debouck 2021) and on-line studies (9 Herbaria studied during first semester of 2025 through the SEINet portal at https://swbiodiversity.org/seinet/collections/list.php/, and finalized by 18 July 2025) were as follows (Table 2). Table 2 – Phaseolus species and number of populations known to be present in the Trans-Pecos region, Texas from the studies of herbarium records. Counties acutifolius angustissimus filiformis grayanus maculatus Total El Paso 11 3 10 0 0 24 Hudspeth 3 0 0 0 0 3 Culberson 0 1 0 0 0 1 Reeves 0 0 0 0 0 0 Jeff Davis 16 0 0 9 11 36 Presidio 8 14 32 0 2 56 Brewster 6 10 7 22 4 49 Pecos 0 0 0 0 0 0 Terrell 0 0 0 0 1 1 Val Verde 0 0 0 0 0 0 Total 44 28 49 31 18 170 For the two species of high interest, P. acutifolius and P. filiformis, the counties of El Paso and Presidio, and next Brewster and Jeff Davis (for wild teparies) would be worth including. To note: in the herbarium records, no population has GPS coordinates, largely because the herbarium specimens were collected before the GPS technology became available to botanists (in the early 2000s: Broida 2004). The time span of these collections was from October 1849 (the collections made by Charles Wright) to September 2007 (a collection of P. grayanus by W.R. Carr in Jeff Davis Co.). Based on this compilation, the records were organized by zones, taking into account the places where the team would stay overnight, in order to get close to the potential zones the next morning, and in doing so to maximize the return per seed collection and per mileage. Because of poor weather conditions indicated by the US Drought Monitor (https://www.droughtmonitor.unl.edu) often consulted during July and August 2025, the counties of El Presidio and Brewster fell under progressively lower priority, while the counties of El Paso and Jeff Davis kept drawing attention. Scouting by personal visits to populations or images sent by iNaturalist observers helped confirm the development and phenology of different populations of wild teparies. Depending on the location planned for a field collection and the legal ownership status of the land at that place, authorities (inter alia the Bureau of Land Management, the US Forest Service, the https://swbiodiversity.org/seinet/collections/list.php/ https://www.droughtmonitor.unl.edu/ 7 Texas Parks and Wildlife Department) were contacted and permits to collect herbarium specimens, seed and soil samples were asked (and obtained swiftly). Vegetation types were defined according to the works of Castetter (1956), Dick-Peddie (1993), Powell et al. (2018) and O’Kane (2025). Plants as indicators of a particular life zone such as cacti, grasses, succulents, were checked in light of the works by Powell (2004), Dodson (2012), Powell et al. (2018), Allred & Jercinovic (2020) and Heil & O’Kane (2025). Names of places were checked along the maps of the Atlases and Gazetteers of New Mexico and Texas (DeLorme 2022 and 2025, respectively). The geological terms were used along the definitions by Bates and Jackson (1984) and Scarborough (2000). The botanical terms were checked according to the works of Stearn (1993) and Usher (1996). RESULTS 1. General Twenty-three collections were made, out of which 17 were of wild tepary, three of P. filiformis, two of P. angustissimus and one of P. grayanus (Table 3 and Figure 1). The exact place, GPS coordinates of each collection and other relevant information for the passport data of each accession can be found in the labels in Annex 1, together with data about vegetation and soil characteristics; additional information about the schedule and itinerary can be found in Annex 2. Sampling was done in the counties of Doña Ana, Eddy and Otero in New Mexico, and in the counties of El Paso, Culberson and Jeff Davis in Texas. No population was found for P. maculatus Scheele, one out of the five species known to occur in the Trans-Pecos region (Table 2, and Powell et al. 2018). Herbarium vouchers and germplasm were found for the four other species. The absence of P. maculatus, the ‘Prairie Bean’, might be due to the alteration of original grasslands of the Chihuahuan Desert of which this species is part of (Gentry 1957). In this regard, about this bean, Valery Havard (1885, p. 501) wrote: “Common on prairies west of the Pecos, its creeping stems often 15 to 20 feet long”. Table 3 – Populations of wild Phaseolus species found during this exploration. # Collectio n No. Species State, county, area Herbarium Seeds Soil Date 1 3432 P. filiformis NM, Doña Ana, Organ Mts 4 25 2 21-IX 2 3433 P. acutifolius NM, Doña Ana, San Andres Mts 4 39 2 22-IX 3 3434 P. acutifolius NM, Doña Ana, Organ Mts 3 53 2 22-IX 4 SD-1 P. acutifolius NM, Doña Ana, San Andres Mts 4 308 1 22-IX 5 SD-2 P. angustissimus NM, Doña Ana, San Andres Mts 5 3 2 22-IX 6 SD-3 P. acutifolius NM, Doña Ana, San Andres Mts 5 41 2 22-IX 7 SD-4 P. angustissimus NM, Doña Ana, San Andres Mts 5 12 2 22-IX 8 SD-5 P. acutifolius NM, Doña Ana, San Andres Mts 4 22 2 22-IX 9 3435 P. filiformis TX, El Paso, Franklin Mts 5 139 2 23-IX 10 3436 P. acutifolius TX, El Paso, Franklin Mts 5 317 1 23-IX 11 3437 P. filiformis TX, El Paso, Franklin Mts 5 49 1 23-IX 12 SD-6 P. acutifolius TX, El Paso, Franklin Mts 2 149 4 23-IX 13 3438 P. acutifolius TX, El Paso, Hueco Tanks 7 601 3 23-IX 14 SD-7 P. acutifolius TX, Culberson, Diablo Mts 5 921 2 24-IX 15 SD-8 P. acutifolius TX, Jeff Davis, Davis Mts 5 165 2 24-IX 16 3439 P. acutifolius TX, Jeff Davis, Mitre Peak 5 53 2 25-IX 17 3440 P. acutifolius TX, Jeff Davis, CDRI 7 168 2 25-IX 18 3441 P. acutifolius TX, Jeff Davis, Davis Mts 2 6 2 26-IX 8 19 3442 P. acutifolius TX, Jeff Davis, Davis Mts 5 53 2 26-IX 20 3443 P. acutifolius TX, Jeff Davis, Davis Mts 5 544 2 26-IX 21 3444 P. grayanus NM, Eddy, Sitting Bull Falls 4 25 2 28-IX 22 3445 P. acutifolius NM, Otero, Cornudas Mts 1 105 1 29-IX 23 SD-9 P. acutifolius NM, Otero, Cornudas Mts 2 50 1 29-IX CDRI= Chihuahuan Desert Research Institute. Herbarium: numbers of voucher specimens completed. Seeds: number of seeds collected for germplasm conservation. Soil: number of soil samples collected for analysis. There were previous records as herbarium specimens for many of the above populations, but in the absence of GPS coordinates in these records it is difficult to ascertain whether the present population is the same as the one already found by a previous botanist. A couple of sightings provided by iNaturalists were quite useful to indicate that wild teparies were present in the prospective areas. That was the case for: Cottonwood Springs in the Franklin Mountains (record #309564896), Madera Canyon (record #315293364), and Chattfield Mountain in the Cornudas, Texas (record #4304473). But there were several places (Table 4) where time was spent looking for populations of wild P. acutifolius or P. filiformis, but without any luck; it is worth asking why. Table 4 – Places where no population was found in 2025 and possible reason. No. Previous record State, county Place Date Possible reason 1 no NM, Doña Ana Achenbach Canyon 21-IX Past grazing, fire 2 yes TX, Presidio San Esteban Lake 24-IX Dam broken, no access 3 yes TX, Jeff Davis McDonald Observatory 25-IX Past fire 4 no TX, Culberson Pine Spring Trail 27-IX Past grazing 5 no TX, Culberson Frijole Ranch 27-IX Past grazing 6 no TX, Culberson McKittrick Canyon Trail 27-IX Soil: karst, past grazing 7 no NM, Eddy Cougar Road 28-IX uncertain 8 no NM, Eddy Dog Canyon 28-IX Interrupted search: risk of flash flood The case of the Achenbach Canyon in the southern Organ Mts. continues to be puzzling because it is located between two areas (Cuates Canyon and Peña Blanca) which yielded collections in 2024 and 2025. But at least this time a plant of Macroptilium gibbosifolium (Ortega) A. Delgado with bright orange flowers was seen (a case of ecological vicariance?). On the other hand, the area just south of the dam of San Esteban Lake (where there was one population of wild tepary: LC Hinckley sn, found on August 31, 1940, and studied at the Herbarium of the University of Arizona (ARIZ; acronyms of Herbaria according to Thiers 2025) was a disappointment: the “lake” (reservoir) is gone, although still reported on the map (DeLorme 2025), and there were no access roads. In the Guadalupe Mts. (Guadalupe Mountains National Park, TX), we suspect that past grazing could be the explanation for the absence of any sighting; sure, the thin soil was developed from a karst topography in many places of the three transects (i.e. Pine Spring Trail, Trail west and above Frijole Ranch, and McKittrick Canyon Trail), but there are reports of P. angustissimus found on limestone soils (Hermann 1966, p. 130; and the specimens AC Sanders 3106 at the Herbarium of the University of California, Riverside (UCR), RD Worthington 3522 at the Herbarium of the University of Texas, Austin (TEX), RD Worthington 6816 at the Herbarium of the University of Colorado (COLO). And 9 records of P. acutifolius: BH Warnock 14220 at SRSC. And records of P. filiformis as well, on limestone soils: BH Warnock 13179 at the Lundell Herbarium (LL), BH Warnock 17069 at the Herbarium of Sul Ross University (SRSC), BH Warnock 18199 at TEX, BH Warnock 18851 at SRSC, BH Warnock 20232 at SRSC, RD Worthington 14441 at Leiden, The Netherlands (L; acronyms of Herbaria along Thiers 2025). It is also worth to remember that there are dozens of populations of wild Lima bean in the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico, thriving on soils developed fully from coralline limestone (Standley 1930). And P. microcarpus Martius population #3299 (studied at the Herbarium of Museo Nacional, San José, Costa Rica (CR) was collected on calcareous rocks in the estuary of Tempisque River in Costa Rica (Debouck et al. 2019). Finding bean germplasm on such limestones is more than an academic exercise, given its implications in the iron uptake by plants growing on such soils for breeding for higher iron in seeds (Beebe 2020). Figure 1 – Map of southern New Mexico and western part of the Trans-Pecos region of Texas where the sampling took place in September 2025, and distribution of the populations of wild beans found during this 2025 exploration. 10 2. Per species Phaseolus acutifolius Asa Gray The seventeen collections of wild tepary add diversity to the USDA and CIAT collections because they are from unique locations (Figure 1). As in 2023 (Debouck et al. 2023) and 2024 (Debouck et al. 2025a) wild teparies were found in diverse habitats (Figures 2, 3 and 4). There was a strict correlation between size of populations and cattle access to the site: for example, population #3433 was limited to a few plants (Figure 2 top), while population #3439 was extant in Fern Cayon (Figure 3 top; see also cover photo for population #SD-7 and its label in Annex 1). Big igneous boulders offer protection to population #3445 (Figure 4 top), while the lower part of the slope saw a drastic change in the vegetation over the last 140 years. Interestingly, Valery Havard (1885, p. 490) wrote: “From the Cornudas to the Hueco Mountains, the luxuriant grass (mostly Gramas) could hardly be excelled in quantity and quality; unfortunately, water is almost entirely absent”. At Hueco Tanks, population #3438 is recovering within the protected Historic Site of the park system of Texas, and thus climbing vines can reach a height of more than 2 m (Figure 5 right). In contrast with the populations found in 2023 and 2024, the populations found in 2025 in Trans Pecos were not strictly narrow-leaved with basal lobing (Figure 5 left; compare with Figure 6 left and center), that is, they were very much like the type (specimen C Wright 1311 kept at Harvard). Even in some populations (e.g. #SD-8), the leaflets were close to the ones of garden common bean! 11 Figure 2 – Diversity of habitats of wild P. acutifolius. Top: population #3433 in Hawkeye Creek, western slope of San Augustin Peak, NM (photo DGD). Below: population #3438 in Hueco Tanks, TX (photo SD) (yellow arrows point to the spots where wild teparies were seen). 12 Figure 3 – More diversity of habitats of wild P. acutifolius. Top: population #3439 in sunny spots along a stream, Fern Canyon, Mitre Peak, Jeff Davis Co., TX. Below: population #3440 in a chaparral in close half-shaded canyon, Modesta Canyon, Chihuahuan Desert Research Institute, Jeff Davis Co., TX (photos DGD). 13 Figure 4 – And more diversity of habitats of wild P. acutifolius. Top: view southward from site of population #3445 (plants at base of boulders just in the back of photographer), SE slope of Cornuda Mountain, Otero Co., NM (photo DGD). Below: population #SD-9 in ravine thickets on the slope of Wind Mountain in the Cornudas Mts, Otero Co., NM (photo SD). 14 Figure 5 – Population #3438 at Hueco Tanks, El Paso, TX. Left: note the asymmetrical lateral leaflets (photo LGS). Right: a plant more than 2 m tall climbing on dry branches, the walking stick giving some sense of scale (photo SD). Figure 6 – Variation in leaflet shape, namely in the lateral leaflets, observed in populations of Phaseolus acutifolius A. Gray. Left and center: population #SD-1 found in the San Andres mountains of New Mexico; right: population #SD-8 found in Jeff Davis County of Texas (scale bar in cm; photos SD). 15 Phaseolus angustissimus Asa Gray Two populations (SD-2 and SD-4) were found on the eastern slope of San Augustin Peak at the southern end of the San Andres Mountains. This species being a colonizer of disturbed habitats, the plants were collected in mine tailings (Figure 7) and on a roadside, in sunny open places. Both populations presented particularly narrow leaflets and were at green pod filling stage entering maturity. Figure 7 – Site of population # SD-2 of P. angustissimus, eastern slope of San Augustin Peak, Doña Ana, NM (photo TP). Phaseolus filiformis Bentham One population (#3432, Figure 8) was found at the southern tip of the Organ Mountains, while the two others were found in the Franklin Mountains (#3435 on eastern slope and #3437 in the ridge area). They were found at green pod filling stage entering maturity. In the Franklin Mountains, leaflet shape was very much like that of the type of P. wrightii (lectotype in the Gray Herbarium as GH- 00064081). 16 Figure 8 – Top: distance view of site of population #3432, S of Peña Blanca, Organ Mts., Doña Ana Co., NM. Below: #3435, Franklin Mountains State Park, El Paso Co., TX. P. filiformis thrives well in open sunny habitats where soil could be quite rocky (photos DGD). 17 Phaseolus grayanus Wooton & Standley The collection #3444 was made at Sitting Bull Falls in the Lincoln National Forest, New Mexico (Figure 9). There were two different collections in the area (without GPS coordinates) called ‘Last Chance Canyon’: the specimen RD Worthington 27967 (studied at L and UCR) of August 1998, and the specimen RD Worthington 34971 (studied at the Herbarium of Arizona State University (ASU) and UCR) of September 2007. The first one was identified as P. wrightii, while the second as P. grayanus. Population #3444, while not showing the typical ‘squarish’ lobing of lateral leaflets of the latter, belongs to P. grayanus and could be an addition to the flora of the Lincoln National Forest. It could be the last population to the east for this species, extending westward into Arizona and down to Jalisco, Mexico (Debouck 2021). Figure 9 – Site of population #3444 of P. grayanus, a moist spot at Sitting Bull Falls in the middle of a dry area of the Lincoln National Forest, Eddy Co., NM (photo DGD). DISCUSSION The above results elicit the following points for discussion. First, the number of populations of wild tepary found in 2025 is a significant addition to the USDA and CIAT genebanks. This significant addition is largely due to: i) the amount and distribution of rains in the area of the Southwest where wild teparies have been reported (Table 2), ii) the tenacity to continuously monitor these two 18 moisture parameters over the monsoon period of 2025, iii) the capability to orient the collecting team towards areas with probability of mature seeds (Table 3), and iv) access including permissions, maintained roads and trails, as well as local staff guidance at several locations. Of particular interest for genebanks are: the eastern slope of San Augustin Peak in NM and the wide distribution of the collections across the Trans-Pecos (Figure 1). As noted in 2023 and 2024 (Debouck et al. 2025b) and by Powell and co-workers (2018), the diversity of environments (Figures 2, 3, 4) in which wild teparies thrive is noteworthy, likely driven most by climatic conditions and variability in soils and geological substrates. In this regard, it is interesting to see how a population as SD-7 grew aggressively in response to moisture in Sierra Diablo (cover photo). Fortunately, soil samples have been collected to test the hypothesis about the key role of soil characteristics in shaping the diversity in these wild bean populations. That diversity in environments is also noteworthy when compared to species with a similar range, for example if we consider P. maculatus, also present in the Chihuahuan Desert. For P. acutifolius in New Mexico, Jason Alexander (2025) reports three (broad) plant communities, while two for P. maculatus. Also, for New Mexico, Kelly Allred and Eugene Jercinovic (2020) reported one (broad) plant community, but different, for each of these two species. In Mexico, P. acutifolius is present in eight vegetation community types, while P. maculatus is present in six (Delgado-Salinas & Gama-López 2015). Second, about the type of P. acutifolius, there is a high probability that the population originally collected at the type locality has been found and some seeds have been secured into the USDA genebank at Pullman. Because the numbers under which Wright’s specimens were distributed, were not his field numbers (Wooton 1906), finding the lectotype was the first issue to solve, in order to identify the site and date of collection. Next, realizing the conditions of travel of Charles Wright led us to the possible routes of the horse or ox-drawn vehicles in 1849, while the boundary between the US and Mexico was surveyed in 1848-1856 to provide information about topography, natural resources and the inhabitants (Beck & Haase 1969). Several authors (Winkler 1915, Geiser 1935, Hinckley 1950) focused their attention on the first part of the trip made by Charles Wright, but less on the return journey from El Paso to San Antonio in Texas. A report about natural resources along the new southerly route was expected because the focus was on the boundary position and its characteristics (Winkler 1915). But in using the road 62/180 on September 23, 2025, and by passing through the flat bare xeric land with creosote bush east of the expanding city of El Paso, it was clear to us that on October 13, 1849, the first stop “35 miles east of El Paso” (Johnston 1940) had to be at Hueco Tanks. The plants at the type locality still in the pod filling stage were very much like the type specimen, specifically regarding size and leaflet shape, and this leads to the following point. Third, in contrast to the explorations of 2023 and 2024 (Debouck et al. 2025b), no variant of P. acutifolius with narrow leaflets (matching with the lectotype GH00064071 of var. tenuifolius studied at the Gray Herbarium, Harvard) was found in the field of Trans Pecos TX in 2025 (Figure 6). Indeed, Delgado-Salinas wrote (1985, p. 178) “Plants of var. tenuifolius are not known from Texas”. George Freytag (Freytag & Debouck 2002, p. 31) however reported three specimens from Texas belonging to that variety: Nabhan 689 (Jeff Davis Co.), Neally 104 (Jeff Davis Co.) and Worthington 9220 (El Paso Co.). One of us (DGD) has studied these specimens at ARIZ, F and [ASU, NY, UCR], respectively (acronyms along Thiers 2025) and can confirm that they belong to var. tenuifolius because of an external slight lobe at base of the lateral leaflets (Debouck 2019). Further, during our previous studies, there were more specimens with this slight external lobing: Correll 33340 (LL), Hinckley 403 (NY), Hinckley 4589 (NY), Manning 4080 (K), Nabhan 685 (ARIZ), Sanders 3104 (UCR), Sanders 3127 (UCR), Steiger 890 (NY), Warnock 815 (TEX), Worthington 6717 (ARIZ), 19 Worthington 11576 (NY), Worthington 17306 (L) and Worthington 18653 (UCR). In this regard, these specimens and the collections of 2025 in Trans Pecos match with the lectotype GH00064068, representing the species P. acutifolius, prior to the definition of the variant tenuifolius (Gray 1853, p. 33), thus favoring a more conservative approach in view of the wide variation in leaflet shape as acknowledged by several authors (Turner et al. 2003, Powell et al. 2018, Allred & Jercinovic 2020, Debouck 2021, Alexander 2025). Beyond this discussion about a formal treatment of leaflet variation within wild teparies, a challenging question during preparation and field work of the explorations of 2023, 2024 and 2025, is whether or not P. montanus exists in New Mexico and Texas (as Table 1 would indicate). The field work of 2025 did not identify any novel population of P. montanus, raising a doubt about the site of collection of G40195 (PI 638 835). Solving this question around the presence of an additional Phaseolus species in the Southwest has more implications than floristics/ taxonomy as this taxon has been shown to be of value as a bridging species in crossing programs between common and tepary bean (Barrera et al. 2018, 2022). There might be a parallel situation with P. ritensis Jones, this species being present in the Sonoran Desert in Arizona (Wiggins 1964), but not in the Chihuahuan Desert in New Mexico (Debouck 2021, also noted by Allred & Jercinovic 2020). In their study about P. metcalfei Wooton & Standley (synonym of P. maculatus) and P. ritensis, Gary Paul Nabhan and co-workers (1980) reported that all specimens studied from New Mexico and Trans-Pecos in Texas belong to P. maculatus. A good monsoon in the ‘boot heel’ of the Land of Enchantment is badly needed to reveal the presence of P. montanus and P. ritensis! ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This work was made possible thanks to support from the USDA-ARS National Plant Germplasm System, Plant Exchange Office, Beltsville, MD (USDA REA Agreement No. 58-2090-5-072). Additional funding was provided by the Plant and Environmental Sciences Department of New Mexico State University, Washington State University Department of Crop and Soil Science, USDA-ARS Western Regional Plant Introduction and Testing Unit, Pullman, WA, and the Genetic Resources Program of the International Center of Tropical Agriculture (CIAT). The authors extend special thanks to the permit Providers and individuals in these institutions: the US Forest Service of USDA (NFS), the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), the National Parks Service (NPS), the New Mexico State Land Office (NMSLO), the White Sands Missile Range (WSMR), the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) and its Wildlife Management Areas (WMA), the Chihuahuan Desert Research Institute (CDRI), and Sul Ross State University (SRSU). The authors deeply acknowledge the input and interest of the following individuals at different steps of this work: Maria Fernanda Álvarez (CIAT), Dave Anderson (WSMR, retired), Sydney Bauer (Girls Scouts of the Desert Southwest), Esteban Bolaños (CIAT), Paul Boudreaux (TPWD, Davis Mountains), Cassie Cox (TPWD, Hueco Tanks), Patty Craven (Chief Executive Officer, Executive Team, Girl Scouts of the Desert Southwest), Joshua Cross (TPWD, Sierra Diablo WMA), Casey Cunningham (TPWD, Sierra Diablo WMA), Nury Patricia Escobar (CIAT), Anne Frances (USDA), Francesca Giampieri (Bioversity International), Lisa Gordon (CDRI), Lois Grant (NMSU, retired), Adam Jones (Girls Scouts of the Desert Southwest), Brittney Keathley (TPWD, Scientific Permits and Research Coordinator), Kathryn Kennedy (NFS), Juan David Libreros (CIAT), Claudia Maldonado (CIAT), Cody McIntyre (TPWD, Elephant Mountain WMA), Cesar Mendez (TPWD, Franklin Mountains State Park), Valerie Morgan (Carlsbad Canyon, NPS), Maria Mullins (BLM), 20 Albert Michael Powell (SRSU), Shirley A. Powell (SRSU), Tesnie Pugh (McDonald Observatory, The University of Texas Austin), Casey W. Riggs (Carlsbad Canyon, NPS), Zacharias Rogers (NMSU), Kirsten Romig (BLM), John Jairo Sánchez (CIAT), Marcela Santaella (CIAT), Alex Sienkiewicz (Guadalupe Mountains and Carlsbad Caverns, NPS), Gregory Silsby (WSMR), Jennifer Stafford (Guadalupe Mountains and Carlsbad Caverns, NPS), Jaime L. Tissiere (McDonald Observatory, The University of Texas Austin), Eliana Urquijo (CIAT), Katie Vinzant (Guadalupe Mountains and Carlsbad Caverns, NPS), Marilyn Warburton (USDA), Peter Wenzl (CIAT), Jessie Willett (NFS) and Kelsey Wogan (SRSU). Last but not least the authors express deep gratitude to Britton Bourland (USDA) for help on the map. LITERATURE CITED Alexander, J. A. 2025. Fabaceae – Pea family. in: “Vascular Plants of New Mexico”, K.D. Heil & S.L. O’Kane (eds.). Monographs in Systematic Botany, Volume 140. Missouri Botanical Garden Press. St. Louis, Missouri, USA. Pp. 529-598. Allred, K.W. & E.M. 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Progresses, challenges, and prospects of genome editing in soybean (Glycine max). Front. Plant Sci. 11 (571138): 1-19. Yeaman, S. 2025. Can wild plant adaptations help crops tolerate heat? Science 388 (6752): 1148-1150. Zizumbo-Villareal, D., P. Colunga-García Marín, E. Payro de la Cruz, P. Delgado-Valerio & P. Gepts. 2005. Population structure and evolutionary dynamics of wild-weedy-domesticated complexes of common bean in a Mesoamerican region. Crop Sci. 45 (3): 1073-1083. http://sweetgum.nybg.org/science/ih/ 25 Annex 1 – Labels of the herbarium vouchers collected during the exploration of 2025. United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Pullman, WA, USA; New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM, USA; International Center for Tropical Agriculture, Palmira, Colombia. LEGUMINOSAE: PHASEOLEAE Phaseolus filiformis Bentham, ident. DG Debouck, date 21/IX/2025. USA. New Mexico. Doña Ana, Organ Mountains, long slope south of Peña Blanca, 5 miles NE from Interstate Road 10 thru CR B059. GPS: lat. N 32o 13’ 15.3”, long. W 106o 36’ 22.9”, elev. 1366 masl (1320 m barometric). Date: 21 September 2025. Dupl.: 4 (BRIT, NA, NMC, UC). A population of 30 plants scattered in a sunny open wash and next on the slope between boulders, at green pod filling stage entering maturity, a few pink lilac flowers still present. Stems up to 60 cm long, sprawling and climbing; leaflets with central variegation. Poorly developed soil, light grey, sandy and gravelly and higher up rocky, with low organic matter, derived from igneous rocks. About 50% of the soil without plant cover. In desert scrub with Mimosa aculeaticarpa, Larrea tridentata, Opuntia, Ferocactus, Ipomoea, Amaranthus, Geranium and a few grasses. Col. DG Debouck, S Dohle, G Guerrero-F., T Porch, & LG Santos-M. No. 3432. + + United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Pullman, WA, USA; New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM, USA; International Center for Tropical Agriculture, Palmira, Colombia. LEGUMINOSAE: PHASEOLEAE Phaseolus acutifolius Asa Gray, ident. DG Debouck, date 22/IX/2025. USA. New Mexico. Doña Ana, San Andres Mountains, Hawkeye Creek west of San Augustin Peak. GPS: lat. N 32o 26’ 40.6”, long. W 106o 35’ 18.8”, elev. 1584 masl (1560 m barometric). Date: 22 September 2025. Dupl.: 4 (BRIT, NA, NMC, UC). A population of 20 plants spread in the creek from county road D087 and towards the peak in sunny open habitat, at green pod filling stage entering maturity, a few pink lilac flowers still present. Stems up to 2 m 50 long, climbing; lateral leaflets with slightly developed external lobes. Soil light brown, as sandy alluvium, derived from rhyolitic rocks. About 10% of the soil without plant cover; cattle grazing. In oak grassland with Quercus, Prosopis glandulosa, Fallugia paradoxa, Opuntia, Datura wrightii, Amaranthus, Ipomoea, Desmodium and Compositae. Col. DG Debouck, L Grant & LG Santos-M. No. 3433. + + United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Pullman, WA, USA; New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM, USA; International Center for Tropical Agriculture, Palmira, Colombia. 26 LEGUMINOSAE: PHASEOLEAE Phaseolus acutifolius Asa Gray, ident. S. Dohle, date 22/IX/2025. USA. New Mexico. Doña Ana, San Andres Mountains, White Sands Missile Range, east of San Augustin Peak. Elev. 1640 masl. Date: 22 September 2025. Dupl.: 4 (BRIT, NA, NMC, UC). A population of 20 plants 1.3 miles east of the San Augustin Pass, north of US Hwy 70 scattered in a sunny open wash below San Antonio Peak, at green pod filling stage entering maturity, with pink lilac flowers still present. Stems over 2 meters long, climbing; lateral leaflets ranging from narrow to broad. Poorly developed soil, light grey, sandy and gravelly, with low organic matter, derived from igneous rocks. 15% of soil without plant cover. In desert scrub predominantly with Amaranthus, Quercus, Ipomoea, and grasses. Col. S Dohle, G Guerrero-F., T Porch, & R Pratt No. 1. + + United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Pullman, WA, USA; New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM, USA; International Center for Tropical Agriculture, Palmira, Colombia. LEGUMINOSAE: PHASEOLEAE Phaseolus angustissimus Asa Gray, ident. S. Dohle, date 22/IX/2025. USA. New Mexico. Doña Ana, San Andres Mountains, White Sands Missile Range, east of San Augustin Peak. Elev. 1707 masl. Date: 22 September 2025. Dupl.: 5 (BRIT, F, NA, NMC, UC). A population of 5 plants on sunny southeast slope, 1.2 miles east of the San Augustin Pass, north of US Hwy 70, below San Antonio Peak in Quickstrike mine tailings, at green pod filling stage entering maturity, a few magenta flowers present, sprawling on ground; leaflets narrow. Poorly developed soil, tailings where plants grew were orange, sandy and gravelly, with low organic matter, derived from igneous rocks. Surrounding soil was gray. 60% of soil without plant cover. In desert scrub with Amaranthus, Quercus, Boerhavia, Polanisia, Dasylirion, and grasses. Col. S Dohle, G Guerrero-F., T Porch, & R Pratt No. 2. + + United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Pullman, WA, USA; New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM, USA; International Center for Tropical Agriculture, Palmira, Colombia. LEGUMINOSAE: PHASEOLEAE Phaseolus acutifolius Asa Gray, ident. S. Dohle, date 22/IX/2025. USA. New Mexico. Doña Ana, Organ Mountains, White Sands Missile Range, Goat Mountain north slope. Elev. 1481 masl. 27 Date: 22 September 2025. Dupl.: 5 (BRIT, F, NA, NMC, UC). A population of over 100 plants, 3.6 miles east of the San Augustin Pass, south of US Hwy 70, scattered between boulders at base of Goat Mountain, at green pod filling stage entering maturity, a few pink lilac flowers present. Many plants with multiple branches coming from the crown, bushy and climbing. Poorly developed gray soil derived from igneous rock, with low organic matter. 25% of soil without plant cover. In desert scrub with Senna, Aloysia, Amaranthus, Yucca, Quercus, Sphaeralcea, and grasses. Col. S Dohle, G Guerrero-F., T Porch, & R Pratt No. 3. + + United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Pullman, WA, USA; New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM, USA; International Center for Tropical Agriculture, Palmira, Colombia. LEGUMINOSAE: PHASEOLEAE Phaseolus angustissimus Asa Gray, ident. S. Dohle, date 22/IX/2025. USA. New Mexico. Doña Ana, San Andres Mountains, White Sands Missile Range, southeast of San Augustin Pass. Elev. 1800 masl. Date: 22 September 2025. Dupl.: 5 (BRIT, F, NA, NMC, UC). A population of 10 plants, north of Hwy 70 at San Augustin Pass, growing on sand and gravel roadside, on the west facing slope, purple stems sprawling over 1.5 meters, at green pod filling stage entering maturity, a few magenta flowers still present. Soil light brown, sandy, from igneous rock, low organic content. 50% of soil without plant cover. In desert scrub with Amaranthus, Quercus, Polanisia, and grasses. Col. S Dohle, G Guerrero-F., T Porch, & R Pratt No. 4. + + United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Pullman, WA, USA; New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM, USA; International Center for Tropical Agriculture, Palmira, Colombia. LEGUMINOSAE: PHASEOLEAE Phaseolus acutifolius Asa Gray, ident. S. Dohle, date 22/IX/2025. USA. New Mexico. Doña Ana, San Andres Mountains, Dry arroyo east of Nasa Rd. 2.3 miles north of US Hwy 70. GPS: lat. N 32° 27' 4.46", long. W 106° 36' 22.85", elev. 1506 masl. Date: 22 September 2025. Dupl.: 4 (BRIT, NA, NMC, UC). A population of 8 plants scattered over 0.5 miles of dry sandy creek bed, often in banks or island climbing on scrub oak, at green pod filling stage entering maturity, a few pink lilac flowers still present. Poorly developed soil, light grey, sandy and gravelly, with low organic matter, derived from igneous rocks. Stream bed is sand with no plant cover but surrounding banks are fully covered in plants, willow, shrubs and amaranth. Associated with Larrea tridentata, Ipomoea, Amaranthus, Fallugia paradoxa, Ericameria, Chilopsis linearis, and grasses. 28 Col. S Dohle, G Guerrero-F., T Porch, & R Pratt No. 5. + + United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Pullman, WA, USA; New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM, USA; International Center for Tropical Agriculture, Palmira, Colombia. LEGUMINOSAE: PHASEOLEAE Phaseolus acutifolius Asa Gray, ident. DG Debouck, date 22/IX/2025. USA. New Mexico. Doña Ana, Organ Mountains, lower part of Aguirre Spring Recreation Area, two miles south of entrance. GPS: lat. N 32o 22’ 53.0”, long. W 106o 32’ 54.3”, elev. 1535 masl (1520 m barometric). Date: 22 September 2025. Dupl.: 3 (NA, NMC, UC). A population of 15 plants spread on a slope and in a wash in sunny spots and protected by big boulders, at green pod filling stage entering maturity, a few pink lilac flowers still present. Stems up to 2 m long, climbing; lateral leaflets with slightly developed external lobes and active pulvini. Soil light brown organic gravelly and rocky, derived from igneous rocks. About 10% of the soil without plant cover. In oak woodland with Quercus, Acacia greggii, Allenrolfea occidentalis, Dasylirion leiophyllum, Amaranthus, Ipomoea, Desmodium, several Compositae and a few grasses. Col. DG Debouck, L Grant & LG Santos-M. No. 3434. + + United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Pullman, WA, USA; New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM, USA; International Center for Tropical Agriculture, Palmira, Colombia. LEGUMINOSAE: PHASEOLEAE Phaseolus filiformis Bentham, ident. DG Debouck, date 23/IX/2025. USA. Texas. El Paso, Franklin Mountains State Park (Tom Mays Unit), West Cottonwood Trail, 0.2 miles from trailhead. GPS: lat. N 31o 54’ 58.6”, long. W 106o 30’ 28.3”, elev. 1533 masl (1500 m barometric). Date: 23 September 2025. Dupl.: 5 (BRIT, F, NA, SRSC, UC). A population of more than 50 plants spread on a sunny open slope, at green pod filling stage entering maturity, a few pink lilac flowers still present. Stems up to 80 cm long, sprawling and climbing; leaflets with central variegation. Soil light brown, gravelly and higher up rocky, derived from igneous reddish rocks. About 40% of the soil without plant cover. In desert scrub with Acacia, Dasylirion leiophyllum, Fallugia paradoxa, Opuntia, Ferocactus and scattered legumes and grasses. Col. DG Debouck, S Dohle, G Guerrero-F., T Porch, R Pratt & LG Santos-M. No. 3435. + + United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Pullman, WA, USA; New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM, USA; International Center for Tropical Agriculture, Palmira, Colombia. LEGUMINOSAE: PHASEOLEAE 29 Phaseolus acutifolius Asa Gray, ident. DG Debouck, date 23/IX/2025. USA. Texas. El Paso, Franklin Mountains State Park (Tom Mays Unit), West Cottonwood Trail, near entrance of the Copper Mine. GPS: lat. N 31o 54’ 56.0”, long. W 106o 30’ 20.1”, elev. 1571 masl (1520 m barometric). Date: 23 September 2025. Dupl.: 5 (BRIT, F, NA, SRSC, UC). A population of more than 50 plants spread on a sunny open slope, at green pod filling stage entering maturity, a few pink lilac flowers still present. Stems up to 150 cm long, sprawling and climbing. Soil light brown, rocky, derived from igneous reddish rocks. About 40% of the soil without plant cover. In desert scrub with Acacia, Dasylirion leiophyllum, Fallugia paradoxa, Cylindropuntia, Ferocactus, Opuntia, Compositae and grasses (population #3435 of P. filiformis close by). Col. DG Debouck, S Dohle, G Guerrero-F., T Porch, R Pratt & LG Santos-M. No. 3436. + + United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Pullman, WA, USA; New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM, USA; International Center for Tropical Agriculture, Palmira, Colombia. LEGUMINOSAE: PHASEOLEAE Phaseolus filiformis Bentham, ident. DG Debouck, date 23/IX/2025. USA. Texas. El Paso, Franklin Mountains, Smugglers Pass, 0.1 mile from entrance of Ron Coleman Trail. GPS: lat. N 31o 52’ 39.0”, long. W 106o 29’ 40.3”, elev. 1567 masl (1530 m barometric). Date: 23 September 2025. Dupl.: 5 (BRIT, F, NA, SRSC, UC). A population of 30 plants spread in a sunny open creek, at green pod filling stage entering maturity, a few pink lilac flowers still present. Stems up to 120 cm long, sprawling; leaflets with central variegation. Soil red brown, gravelly and rocky, derived from rocks some igneous falling from the slopes. About 50% of the soil without plant cover. In desert scrub with Yucca, Acacia, Ipomoea, Amaranthus, and scattered Compositae and grasses. Col. DG Debouck & LG Santos-M. No. 3437. + + United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Pullman, WA, USA; New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM, USA; International Center for Tropical Agriculture, Palmira, Colombia. LEGUMINOSAE: PHASEOLEAE Phaseolus acutifolius Asa Gray, ident. S. Dohle, date 23/IX/2025. USA. Texas. El Paso, Franklin Mountains, Franklin Mountain State Park, Smugglers Pass, 0.5 miles south from Ron Coleman Trailhead on Woodrow Bean Transmountain Drive. GPS: lat. N 31° 52' 19.25", long. W 106° 29' 47.68", elev. 1671 masl. Date: 23 September 2025. Dupl.: 2 (BRIT, NA). 30 A population of 20 plants found at northeast base of red rock cliff in shade of rock wall, at green pod filling stage entering maturity, a few pink lilac flowers still present. Plants growing in cover of rocks and larger shrubs. Poorly developed soil, red, sandy and gravelly, with low organic matter, derived from igneous rocks. 10% of soil without plant cover. Associated with Ipomoea, Amaranthus, Quercus, Dasylirion leiophyllum, Opuntia, and grasses. Col. S Dohle, G Guerrero-F., & T Porch No. 6. + + United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Pullman, WA, USA; New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM, USA; International Center for Tropical Agriculture, Palmira, Colombia. LEGUMINOSAE: PHASEOLEAE Phaseolus acutifolius Asa Gray, ident. DG Debouck, date 23/IX/2025. USA. Texas. El Paso, Hueco Tanks, near entrance of the cave with 19th century handwritings, 0.2 miles SSE of main entrance. GPS: lat. N 31o 55’ 14.2”, long. W 106o 02’ 28.5”, elev. 1372 masl (1360 m barometric). Date: 23 September 2025. Dupl.: 7 (BRIT, F, GH, SRSC, NA, UC, US). A population of 30 plants spread on sunny open gentle slopes and at base of porphyritic rocks, at green pod filling stage entering maturity, a few pink lilac flowers still present. Stems up to 2 m long, climbing. Soil light brown, sandy, derived from alluvium. In desert chaparral with Acacia, Quercus, Solanum, Ipomoea, Sycios, Desmodium, Compositae and grasses (Bouteloua). Col. DG Debouck, S Dohle, G Guerrero-F., T Porch, R Pratt & LG Santos-M. No. 3438. + + United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Pullman, WA, USA; New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM, USA; International Center for Tropical Agriculture, Palmira, Colombia. LEGUMINOSAE: PHASEOLEAE Phaseolus acutifolius Asa Gray, ident. S. Dohle, date 24/IX/2025. USA. Texas. Culberson, Sierra Diablo, Sierra Diablo Wildlife Management Area, 2.8 miles north of bunk house in dry stream which eventually flows to Victorio Canyon. GPS: lat. N 31° 17' 52.35", long. W 104° 54' 28.16", elev. 1596 masl. Date: 24 September 2025. Dupl.: 5 (BRIT, F, NA, SRSC, UC). Population contained tens of thousands of P. acutifolius plants for at least 0.5 miles down the dry stream bed, starting 0.25 miles below the end of the jeep road, in some sections densely climbing over, scrub oak, sotol, and other vegetation, and growing directly in dry rock stream bed. Vigorous vines, well over 3 meters, at green pod fill stage with some pink lilac flowers and some dry pods. Some soil pockets with high organic matter, some poorly developed mostly sand and gravel. Associated with Ipomoea, Amaranthus, Quercus, Dasylirion leiophyllum, Opuntia, Fouquieria splendens, Commelina dianthifolia, Agave, Aloysia, Pinus, Ungnadia, Juniperus and grasses. 31 Col. S. Dohle, G Guerrero-F., & T Porch No. 7. + + United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Pullman, WA, USA; New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM, USA; International Center for Tropical Agriculture, Palmira, Colombia. LEGUMINOSAE: PHASEOLEAE Phaseolus acutifolius Asa Gray, ident. S. Dohle, date 24/IX/2025. USA. Texas. Jeff Davis, Point of Rocks Roadside Park, Rocky hill at Point of Rocks Roadside Park picnic area on north side of State Hwy 166, 9.2 mi west of TX-17. GPS: lat. N 30° 32' 5.70", long. W 104° 3' 49.93", elev. 1669 masl. Date: 24 September 2025. Dupl.: 5 (BRIT, F, NA, SRSC, UC). Over 100 plants growing around trees and between igneous boulders right up to picnic area. Some lateral leaflets over 7cm wide. Vines over 3 meters long, at green pod fill stage with some pink lilac flowers and some dry pods. Some soil dark brown with decayed leaf litter. In oak grassland with Amaranthus, Quercus, Dasylirion leiophyllum, and grasses. Col. S. Dohle, G Guerrero-F., & T Porch No. 8. + + United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Pullman, WA, USA; New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM, USA; International Center for Tropical Agriculture, Palmira, Colombia. LEGUMINOSAE: PHASEOLEAE Phaseolus acutifolius Asa Gray, ident. DG Debouck, date 25/IX/2025. USA. Texas. Jeff Davis, Davis Mountains, Mitre Peak Girl Scout Camp, Fern Canyon, 0.1 mile from entrance. GPS: lat. N 30o 29’ 02.6”, long. W 103o 47’ 33.6”, elev. 1401 masl (1300 m barometric). Date: 25 September 2025. Dupl.: 5 (BRIT, F, NA, SRSC, UC). A population of 30 plants spread in the open sunny canyon and between big porphyritic rocks, at green pod filling stage entering maturity, a few pink lilac flowers still present. Stems up to 2 m long, climbing. Soil brown organic, poorly developed, 20% without plant cover. In open woodland with Acacia greggii, Quercus, Galactia wrightii, Commelina dianthifolia, Cyperus, Compositae and grasses (Chloris). Col. DG Debouck, S Dohle, G Guerrero-F., T Porch & LG Santos-M. No. 3439. + + United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Pullman, WA, USA; New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM, USA; International Center for Tropical Agriculture, Palmira, Colombia. LEGUMINOSAE: PHASEOLEAE 32 Phaseolus acutifolius Asa Gray, ident. DG Debouck, date 25/IX/2025. USA. Texas. Jeff Davis, Davis Mountains, Chihuahuan Desert Research Institute, Modesta Canyon, 0.25 miles S from entrance. GPS: lat. N 30o 32’ 16.5”, long. W 103o 50’ 18.2”, elev. 1518 masl (1440 m barometric). Date: 25 September 2025. Dupl.: 7 (BRIT, F, MO, NA, SRSC, UC, US). A population of over 50 plants scattered in narrow canyon of igneous rocks, at green pod filling stage entering maturity, a few pink lilac flowers still present. Stems up to 150 cm long, climbing. Half-shaded canyon with steep slopes. Soil brown organic, gravelly and rocky, from igneous rocks, up to 60% without plant cover. In oak-juniper woodland with Dasylirion leiophyllum, Cylindropuntia, Ipomoea, Solanum, Desmodium, Compositae and a few grasses. Col. DG Debouck & LG Santos-M. No. 3440. + + United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Pullman, WA, USA; New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM, USA; International Center for Tropical Agriculture, Palmira, Colombia. LEGUMINOSAE: PHASEOLEAE Phaseolus acutifolius Asa Gray, ident. DG Debouck, date 26/IX/2025. USA. Texas. Jeff Davis, Davis Mountains State Park, Indian Lodge Trail, 0.2 miles from Indian Lodge. GPS: lat. N 30o 35’ 39.6”, long. W 103o 56’ 41.1”, elev. 1559 masl (1512 m barometric). Date: 26 September 2025. Dupl.: 2 (BRIT, NA). A population of about 5 plants scattered in a small creek among sandstone rocks, at green pod filling stage entering maturity, a few pink lilac flowers still present. Stems up to 1 m long, climbing. Soil brown organic, gravelly and rocky, up to 60% without plant cover. Four Barbary sheep were seen. In juniper woodland with a few pine trees, Mimosa aculeaticarpa, Acacia greggii, Dasylirion leiophyllum, Cylindropuntia, Chilopsis linearis, Ipomoea, Solanum, Desmodium, Compositae and a few grasses (Bouteloua). Col. DG Debouck, S Dohle, G Guerrero-F., T Porch & LG Santos-M. No. 3441. + + United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Pullman, WA, USA; New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM, USA; International Center for Tropical Agriculture, Palmira, Colombia. LEGUMINOSAE: PHASEOLEAE Phaseolus acutifolius Asa Gray, ident. DG Debouck, date 26/IX/2025. USA. Texas. Jeff Davis, Davis Mountains State Park, Limpia Creek Canyon, along Seep Trail, 0.5 miles N from entrance on road 118. GPS: lat. N 30o 36’ 12.8”, long. W 103o 55’ 41.9”, elev. 1512 masl (1470 m barometric). 33 Date: 26 September 2025. Dupl.: 5 (BRIT, F, NA, SRSC, UC). A population of about 5 plants scattered on a gentle slope, at green pod filling stage, a few pink lilac flowers still present. Stems up to 150 cm long, climbing. Half-shaded habitat. Soil brown organic, alluvium, from igneous rocks. In oak-juniper woodland with Berberis trifoliolata, Dasylirion leiophyllum, Datura stramonium, Desmodium, Amaranthus, Compositae and a few grasses. Col. DG Debouck, S Dohle, G Guerrero-F., T Porch & LG Santos-M. No. 3442. + + United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Pullman, WA, USA; New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM, USA; International Center for Tropical Agriculture, Palmira, Colombia. LEGUMINOSAE: PHASEOLEAE Phaseolus acutifolius Asa Gray, ident. DG Debouck, date 26/IX/2025. USA. Texas. Jeff Davis, Davis Mountains Preserve, Madera Canyon Trail, along trail about one mile from entrance. GPS: lat. N 30o 42’ 18.5”, long. W 104o 06’ 03.8”, elev. 1793 masl (1760 m barometric). Date: 26 September 2025. Dupl.: 5 (BRIT, F, NA, SRSC, UC). A population of more than 50 plants scattered on the E open sunny slope, at green pod filling stage; a few pink lilac flowers still present. Stems up to 1 m long, climbing. Some pods deep purple, mainly along sutures. Soil brown rocky, from andesite rock, up to 20% without plant cover. In oak-juniper woodland with Pinyon pine, Solanum, Amaranthus, Compositae and a few grasses (Bouteloua curtipendula). Col. DG Debouck, S Dohle, G Guerrero-F., T Porch & LG Santos-M. No. 3443. + + United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Pullman, WA, USA; New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM, USA; International Center for Tropical Agriculture, Palmira, Colombia. LEGUMINOSAE: PHASEOLEAE Phaseolus grayanus Wooton & Standley, ident. DG Debouck, date 28/IX/2025. USA. New Mexico. Eddy, Lincoln National Forest, Sitting Bull Falls, about 50 m north from the fall. GPS: lat. N 32o 14’ 37.8”, long. W 104o 41’ 46.8”, elev. 1454 masl (1330 m barometric). Date: 28 September 2025. Dupl.: 4 (BRIT, F, NA, UC). A small population of about 10 plants scattered along the stream beyond the water fall, at green pod filling stage; a few intense lilac flowers still present. Stems up to 2 m long, sprawling and then climbing. Soil brown loamy and rocky, derived from sandstone. Half-shaded habitat. In deep canyon of cliff flora with Fraxinus greggii, Vitis arizonica, Typha domingensis, Compositae and a few grasses. Col. DG Debouck, S Dohle, G Guerrero-F., T Porch & LG Santos-M. No. 3444. 34 + + United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Pullman, WA, USA; New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM, USA; International Center for Tropical Agriculture, Palmira, Colombia. LEGUMINOSAE: PHASEOLEAE Phaseolus acutifolius Asa Gray, ident. DG Debouck, date 29/IX/2025. USA. New Mexico. Otero, Cornudas Mountains, southeastern slope of Cornuda Mountain. GPS: lat. N 32o 05’ 07.2”, long. W 105o 30’ 35.6”, elev. 1472 masl (1440 m barometric). Date: 29 September 2025. Dupl.: 1 (NA). A population of 30 plants scattered on the open sunny slope, at green pod filling and pod maturing stage; a few pink lilac flowers still present. Stems up to 2 m high, climbing on small trees between big boulders. Soil grey rocky, from igneous rock, up to 20% without plant cover. In desert scrub with Acacia, Yucca, Amaranthus, Compositae and a few grasses. Cattle grazing in the area. Col. DG Debouck, S Dohle, G Guerrero-F., T Porch & LG Santos-M. No. 3445. + + United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Pullman, WA, USA; New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM, USA; International Center for Tropical Agriculture, Palmira, Colombia. LEGUMINOSAE: PHASEOLEAE Phaseolus acutifolius Asa Gray, ident. S. Dohle, date 29/IX/2025. USA. New Mexico. Otero, Cornudas Mountains, southeast slope of Wind Mountain. GPS: lat. N 32° 1' 13.98", long. W 105° 30' 1.16", elev. 1494 masl. Date: 29 September 2025. Dupl.: 2 (BRIT, NA). At least 10 plants climbing between igneous boulders where slope of Wind Mountain begins to increase, 1 mile west of intersection with County Rd. F019, 3.1 miles south of intersection with Dell City Road (County Rd. F017). Vines climbing, at green pod filling stage entering maturity, a few pink lilac flowers still present. Poorly developed soil, light grey, sandy and gravelly, with low organic matter, derived from igneous rocks. In desert scrub with Dasylirion leiophyllum, Opuntia, Aloysia, Fouquieria splendens, Prosopis glandulosa, Larrea tridentata, Amaranthus, Fallugia, Cylindropuntia, and grasses. Col. S. Dohle, G Guerrero-F., & T Porch No. 9. 35 Annex 2 – Phaseolus germplasm collection in 2025. Day Dates Activity/ Site Town/ Nearest town Overnight stay Notes 19 Sep Travel to El Paso TX incoming flights by participants 1 20 Travel to Las Cruces, NM; getting prepared, map purchasing Las Cruces, New Mexico incoming flights by participants 2 21 exploration in the Organ Mountains, namely extreme south Las Cruces, NM Las Cruces, same 2 sites west slope and extreme south of Organ Mts 3 22 San Andres Mountains: San Augustin Peak, both slopes Organ, NM, and WSMF Main Post Las Cruces, same Split team: west slope (Hawkeye Canyon) and east slope 4 23 Franklin Mts. and Hueco Tanks State Park El Paso, Texas Van Horn, Texas Two sites sampled in the Franklin Mts. 5 24 Diablo Mts. and Point of Rocks by Team 1 and Lake Esteban by Team 2 Marfa and Alpine, TX Rock House near Fort Davis, TX Visit Herbarium Sul Ross University in the afternoon 6 25 Mitre Peak Area and Modesta Canyon in CDRI area Ft. Davis, TX Rock House near Fort Davis, TX Fern Canyon and Chihuahuan Desert Research Institute 7 26 Davis Mountains State Park and McDonald Observatory Ft. Davis, TX Rock House near Fort Davis, TX Indian Lodge Trail, Limpia Creek Canyon and Madera Canyon 8 27 Guadalupe Mountains, Texas part (Culberson Co.) Carlsbad, NM Carlsbad, NM S Guadalupe Mts: Pine Spring Trail, Frijole Ranch, McKittrick Cyn Trail 9 28 Guadalupe Mountains, New Mexico part (Eddy Co.) Carlsbad, NM Carlsbad, NM N Guadalupe Mts: Sitting Bull Fall, transect thru Cougar Rd, Dog Canyon 10 29 Cornudas Mts via Dell City El Paso, TX Las Cruces, NM Cornudas Mts: SE Cornuda Mountain and SE Wind Mountain 11 30 Organize the info and samples; travel home via El Paso Las Cruces, NM and El Paso, TX El Paso, TX return flight for participants 12 1 Oct Travel to Cali, Colombia return flight for participants