Fabaceae or Leguminosae is the Pea Family of plants. It is also called the Legume Family or Bean Family. It is part of the Fabales order. It is the third-largest family of plants trailing Asteraceae and Orchidaceae. It has about 751 genera and 19,000 species with worldwide distribution.
This family includes shrub, trees, vines, perennials, and annuals. It is best recognized by its fruit or legume. They don’t have basal leaf aggregations. Also, most have compound stipulate leaves, and alternate. Many have tendrils. Many have root nodules that host bacteria that help with nitrogen fixation. This enables many of them to take nitrogen from the air and convert it.
It is a monophyletic family. Monophyletic groups share derived characteristics. In Greek monophyly means one-tribe. In another word, it means all organisms share a common ancestor.
Fabaceae is also known as:
Caesalpiniaceae
Cassiaceae
Ceratoniaceae
Detariaceae
Hedysareae
Lathyraceae
Lotaceae
Mimosaceae
Papilionaceae
Phaseolaceae
Robiniaceae
Swartziaceae
Fabaceae includes six sub-families:
Caesalpinioideae
Cercidoideae
Detarioideae
Dialioideae
Duparquetioideae
Faboideae
Some of the better-known food plants in the Fabaceae family include:
Soybean or Glycine max
Beans or Phaseolus
Pea or Pisum sativum
Chickpeas or Cicer arietinum
Alfalfa or Medicago sativa
Peanut or Arachis hypogaea
Carob or Ceratonia siliqua
Genera in the Fabaceae family of plants: (A to B)
Abarema
Abrus
Acacia
Acaciella
Achyronia
Acmispon
Acosmium
Acrocarpus
Adenanthera
Adenocarpus
Adenodolichos
Adenolobus
Adenopodia
Adesmia
Aenictophyton
Aeschynomene
Affonsea
Afgekia
Afzelia
Aganope
Airyantha
Akschindlium
Alantsilodendron
Albizia
Albizzia
Aldina
Alexa
Alhagi
Alistilus
Almaleea
Alysicarpus
Amarenus
Amblygonocarpus
Amblytropis
Amburana
Amerimnon
Amherstia
Amicia
Ammodendron
Ammopiptanthus
Amoria
Amorpha
Amphicarpaea
Amphimas
Amphinomia
Amphithalea
Anadenanthera
Anagyris
Anarthrophyllum
Andira
Androcalymma
Angylocalyx
Anil
Anila
Anisolotus
Anneslia
Antheroporum
Anthonotha
Anthyllis
Antopetitia
Aotus
Apalatoa
Aphanocalyx
Aphyllodium
Apios
Apoplanesia
Apuleia
Apurimacia
Arachis
Aragallus
Arapatiella
Archidendron
Archidendropsis
Arcoa
Argyrocytisus
Argyrolobium
Arthrocarpum
Arthroclianthus
Aspalathoides
Aspalathus
Astracantha
Astragalus
Astyposanthes
Ateleia
Atelophragma
Atossa
Atylosia
Aubrevillea
Augouardia
Austrodolichos
Austrosteenisia
Baikiaea
Balizia
Balsamocarpon
Baphia
Baphiastrum
Baphiopsis
Baptisia
Barbieria
Barklya
Barnebydendron
Barnebyella
Baryxylum
Batesia
Batschia
Baudouinia
Bauhinia
Behaimia
Belairia
Bergeronia
Berlinia
Bikinia
Binaria
Bionia
Bituminaria
Blanchetiodendron
Bobgunnia
Bocoa
Bolusanthus
Bolusia
Borbonia
Bossiaea
Botor
Bowdichia
Bowringia
Brachycylix
Brachysema
Brachystegia
Bradburya
Bradlea
Brandzeia
Brasilettia
Brenaniodendron
Brenierea
Brodriguesia
Brongniartia
Brownea
Browneopsis
Brya
Bryaspis
Buchenroedera
Burkea
Burkilliodendron
Burtonia
Bussea
Butea
