def plot_vert_hist(fig,ax1,y,pos,ylim,color='grey',label=None,legend=False,onlyhist=True,loc=2,bins=30,alpha=0.5):
    """
    Purpose:
        function to plot a 'bean' like vertical histogram
    
    Input:
        fig: figure object for reference and plotting
        ax1: axis object to plot on
        y: values to be plotted in histogram fashion
        pos: position along axis to create the bean plot
        ylim: range of plotted axis [min,max]
        color: (default to grey) color of the plotted histogram
        label: (default to none) if included, the label for the color squares of this histogram
        legend: (default to False) If True adds a legend on the location 
        onlyhist: (default to True) only plots the histogram bean, not the mean and median lines
        loc: (default to 2) location of the legend
        bins: (default to 30) number of bins to plot
        alpha: (defautl to 0.5) value of transparency (0 to 1)
    
    Output:
        only the histogram plot on top of an existing plot
    
    Dependencies:
        - numpy
        - Sp_parameters
        - plotting_utils : this file
    
    Required files:
        None
    
    Modification History:
        Written: Samuel LeBlanc, NASA Ames
        Modified: Samuel LeBlanc, NASA Ames in Santa Cruz, 2015-12-09
                  - added comments
                  - added the bins keyword to be used
        Modified: Samuel LeBlanc, NASA Ames in Santa Cruz, 2015-12-12
                  - added alpha keyword
    """
    import Sp_parameters as Sp
    import numpy as np
    from plotting_utils import data2figpoints
    (ymask,iy) = Sp.nanmasked(y)
    ax = fig.add_axes(data2figpoints(pos,0.4,fig=fig,ax1=ax1),frameon=False,ylim=ylim)
    ax.tick_params(axis='both', which='both', labelleft='off', labelright='off',bottom='off',top='off',
               labelbottom='off',labeltop='off',right='off',left='off')
    ax.hist(ymask,orientation='horizontal',normed=True,color=color,edgecolor='None',bins=bins,alpha=alpha,label=label,range=ylim)
    if onlyhist:
        label_mean = None
        label_median = None
    else:
        label_mean = 'Mean'
        label_median = 'Median'
    ax.axhline(np.mean(ymask),color='red',linewidth=2,label=label_mean)
    ax.axhline(np.median(ymask),color='k',linewidth=2,linestyle='--',label=label_median)
    if legend:
        ax.legend(frameon=False,loc=loc)
    ax = fig.add_axes(data2figpoints(pos+0.01,-0.4,fig=fig,ax1=ax1),frameon=False,ylim=ylim)
    ax.tick_params(axis='both', which='both', labelleft='off', labelright='off',bottom='off',top='off',
                   labelbottom='off',labeltop='off',right='off',left='off')
    ax.hist(ymask,orientation='horizontal',normed=True,color=color,edgecolor='None',bins=bins,alpha=alpha,range=ylim)
    ax.axhline(np.mean(ymask),color='red',linewidth=2)
    ax.axhline(np.median(ymask),color='k',linewidth=2,linestyle='--')