Home Try MCQ Download

Brassicaceae family Go Back to Content List

DEUS LEARNINGS

NEET NEW TOPICS

Morphology of Flowering Plants

Leguminosae family

Leguminosae/Fabaceae Notes

1. Introduction

Family Name: Leguminosae (older name) or Fabaceae (modern name).

Both names refer to the same family of plants, including beans, peas, lentils, and other legumes.

Leguminosae: Derived from "legumen" (pulse/bean).

Fabaceae: Preferred in modern botanical nomenclature, derived from the genus Faba.

Distribution: Distributed worldwide.

Economic Importance: Key sources of food, fodder, oil, fiber, dyes, and medicinal products.

2. Classification

Domain: Eukarya

Kingdom: Plantae

Division: Angiospermae

Class: Dicotyledonae

Order: Rosales

Family: Leguminosae/Fabaceae

3. Subfamilies

Earlier classified into three subfamilies:

Papilionoideae
Caesalpinoideae
Mimosoideae

These subfamilies are now considered separate families.

4. Vegetative Characters

4.1 Habit

Trees, shrubs, or herbs.

Some species are climbers.

4.2 Root

Presence of root nodules (contain nitrogen-fixing bacteria).

4.3 Stem

Erect or climber.

4.4 Leaves

Alternate arrangement.

Leaf base: Pulvinate (swollen).

Stipulate (stipules present).

Simple or pinnately compound.

Venation: Reticulate.

5. Floral Characters

5.1 Inflorescence

Racemose.

5.2 Flower

Type: Bisexual, zygomorphic (butterfly-shaped).

Floral Formula: ％ ⚥ K(5) C1+2+(2) A(9)+1 G1.

5.3 Calyx

5 sepals, gamosepalous (united), with valvate or imbricate aestivation.

5.4 Corolla

5 petals, polypetalous (free), papilionaceous (butterfly-like).

Posterior standard: Uppermost petal.

Two lateral wings: Side petals.

Two anterior petals forming a keel: Enclose stamens and pistil.

Aestivation: Vexillary.

5.5 Androecium

10 stamens, diadelphous (9 united, 1 free).

Anthers: Dithecous (two-celled).

5.6 Gynoecium

Monocarpellary (single carpel).

Unilocular ovary, superior, with many ovules.

Single style.

5.7 Fruit

Legume (dry dehiscent fruit).

5.8 Seed

One to many seeds, non-endospermic.

6. Economic Importance

6.1 Pulses

Arhar or Pigeon Pea : Cajanus cajan
Gram : Cicer arietinum
Sem : Bauhinia variegata
Moong : Vigna radiata (Green Gram)
Soybean : Glycine max

6.2 Edible Oil

Soybean : Glycine max
Groundnut or Peanut : Arachis hypogaea

6.3 Dye

Indigofera : Source of natural indigo dye (Neel).

6.4 Fiber

Sunhemp : Crotalaria juncea

6.5 Fodder

Sesbania : Used as fodder.
Trifolium : Clover, used for grazing livestock.

6.6 Ornamentals

Lupin : Ornamental flowering plant.
Sweet Pea : Lathyrus odoratus

6.7 Medicine

Mulethi : Licorice root (Glycyrrhiza glabra).

6.8 Other Examples

Pea or Garden Pea : Pisum sativum
Green Gram (Mung Bean) : Vigna radiata

7. Floral Diagram and Formula