Lentils, lentils. ) sweet, commonly known as Eriocheir sinensis, alias "ham lentil", "rattan bean", "hedge bean", "magpie bean", "tea bean" and "moon dish", is a dicotyledonous plant. There are also many kinds, such as white lentils, purple lentils, snap beans, snake beans, and pig ear beans (shaped like pig ears). It is a perennial twining vine of Leguminosae. This is a leguminous plant.