Fabaceae

Family                        : Fabaceae

Conserved name        : Leguminosae

Popular name            : The Pea or Bean Family

Identifying characters of the family

• Root bears nodule
• Fruit is legume
• Presence of compound leaf
• Pistill looks like a sword
• Androecium mona/dia delphous
• Ovary monocarpellary, marginal placentation

Family-Fabaceae/The pea family

Taxonomic Position (according to Cronquist)

Identifying characters of Fabaceae (Papilionacae) family

• Herb, shrub or tree
• Presence of root nodule
• Usually trifoliate compound leaf
• Papilianaceous corolla with vexillary placentation
• Stamen 10, diadelphous (9+1)
• Fruit, a legume

The family Fabaceae consists of about 440 genera and 12,000 species, widespread in temperate and cold as well as tropical regions. In Bangladesh, this family is represented by 69 genera and 254 species.

Botanical Description of the Family

Habit: Generally annual herbs (some time twining or climbing by tendrils); but may be shrubs or trees.

Leaves: Leaves simple, digitately or pinnately compound, very rarely bi-pinnate, alternate, often stipulate, sometimes with rachis ending in a tendril.

Inflorescence: Inflorescence axillary, racimose, leaf-opposed or terminal, bracts and bracteoles usually present.

Flower: Flowers irregular, rarely regular, hermaphrodite. Sepals 5, united above the middle and beyond the disk in a campanulate or tubular calyx, with truncate, 5-toothed or 5-lobed limb, often 2 upper sepals connate into 2 lips. Petals 5, aestivation vexillary, erect or spreading, the upper (standard) outermost, free or adnate to stamens, the lower (keel) innermost, usually connate by their adjacent margins, the 2 laterals (wings) intermediate, often attached to the keel.

Androecium: Stamens inserted with petals on the disk within the calyx tube, usually 10, free, or more often diadelphous, the 9 lower connate in a sheath, the upper solitary and free.

Gynoecium: Carpel 1, free, styles simple, stigmas capitate, terminal or oblique, placentation merginal.

Fruit: Fruit usually legume, splitting along both sutures, sometimes indehiscent and separated into 1-seeded joints.

Seeds: Seeds usually exalbuminous.

 Table 1. Economic Important Plants of Fabaceae Family