Leguminosae

Leguminosae, also known as the pea family or Fabaceae, is a family of flowering plants, i.e. angiosperms, commonly known as legumes. This family is widely distributed all over the world and is the third-largest plant family with over 20,000 species belonging to 765 genera. Legumes include herbs, shrubs, and trees.

Classification | ‘Animalia’

| Kingdom | Animalia |

| Plantae

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| Subkingdom |

| Tracheobionta | denotes table cell

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| Superdivision

| Spermatophyta

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| Division |

| Magnoliophyta | represents a table

Name Age
John 25
Name Age
John 25

|Class|

| Magnoliopsida |

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| Subclass

| Rosidae represents a table

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| Order

| Fabales | represents a table

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| Family |

| Fabaceae / Leguminosae

Name Age
John 20
Name Age
John 20

Leguminosae is a family of flowering plants, and is therefore part of the division Magnoliophyta, which contains all angiosperms (flowering plants). It is classified under the class Magnoliopsida, which includes all dicotyledonous plants, i.e. possessing two cotyledons. Monocotyledons are placed in the class Liliopsida.

Characteristics

The Leguminosae family, also commonly referred to as the pea or bean family, is a dicot plant family with some important and common characteristics, such as:

They are herbs, shrubs, or trees.

The root of legumes contains root nodules, which is a distinguishing feature. These root nodules are also home to symbiotic nitrogen-fixing bacteria.

The stems of plants can be woody, erect, herbaceous, or even climbing.

Leaves are alternate and can be either simple or compound. Compound leaves are pinnately compound.

Leaves of stipulate type have swollen (pulvinate) leaf bases and reticulate venation.

The inflorescence is of the racemose type, meaning the main axis does not terminate in the flower and continues to grow without limit.

Flowers are generally zygomorphic, meaning they possess bilateral symmetry with only one vertical plane of symmetry.

Flowers are typically bisexual or hermaphrodite, meaning they possess both male and female reproductive parts within the same flower.

Flowers are pentamerous (having 5 floral appendages) and hypogynous (with a superior ovary).

Sepals are five in number and joint, i.e. gamosepalous. The arrangement of sepals (aestivation) is valvate or imbricate.

The petals of the flower are five in number, and are arranged in a polypetalous fashion with vexillary aestivation. This type of flower is known as papilionaceous.

Stamens are diadelphous, meaning they are united and found in a bundle of two. There are ten stamens in total. Anthers have two compartments, known as dithecous.

The gynoecium, or the female reproductive part, consists of only one carpel, i.e. a monocarpellary. The ovary is superior, unilocular, and contains multiple ovules.

The fruit belongs to the family Leguminosae, which is distinguished by its legume characteristics. The seeds of this family are non-endospermic.

Examples:

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Legumes are an essential part of our diet. Not only are they a source of pulses, edible oil, medicine, fibres, fodder, and ornaments, but they also provide a variety of other benefits. Some common examples of legumes include:

Pisum sativum (pea)

Phaseolus (beans)

Glycine max (soybean)

Arachis hypogaea (peanut)

Glycyrrhiza glabra (commonly known as Liquorice or Mulethi)

Cicer arietinum (chickpeas)

Medicago sativa (alfalfa)

Vicia faba (broad bean)

Cajanus cajan (Pigeon pea - Arhar)

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