Legumes - Biology Of Legumes, Native Legumes Of North America, Legumes In Agriculture, Other Economic Products Obtained From Legumes
species family spp plants
Legumes or beans are species of plants in the family Fabaceae (also known as Leguminoseae). The legume family is very large, containing about 12,000 species and 440 genera with species occurring on all of the habitable continents.
The most species-rich groups in the legume family are the milk-vetches (Astragalus spp.) with 2,000 species, indigos (Indigoifera spp.; 500 species), clovers (Trifolium spp.; 300 species), beans (Phaseolus spp.; 200 species), and lupines (Lupinus spp.; 200 species). Although some taxonomists include the closely related species of the families Caesalpinaceae (about 2,200-3,000 species) and Mimosaceae (3,000 species) with the legume family, the greater legume family includes the Fabaceae, Caesalpinaceae, and Mimosaceae.
Some species of legumes are very important as food plants for humans and livestock. Economically legumes are second in agricultural importance only to the cultivated species of the grass family, such as wheat, maize, and rice. Because of the ability of many legume species to utilize nitrogen gas (N2) in the atmosphere, the foliage and fruits of many legumes are relatively rich in proteins and are important sources of nutrients for humans and other animals. Some species of legumes are also used as ornamental plants in horticulture.
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Legume species represent a wide variety of growth forms, ranging from annual plants to herbaceous perennials to woody shrubs, vines, and trees. The leaves of legumes are typically arranged alternately on the stems and are commonly compound, meaning that each leaf is composed of several to many leaflets arranged along a central stalk. In some herbaceous, climbing species of legumes, some of the lea…
Many species in the legume family are indigenous to the natural plant communities of North America. Numerous other species of legumes have been introduced by humans from Eurasia, Africa, and elsewhere and are now naturalized in suitable habitats in North America. The introduced plants are mostly species that are grown in agriculture or horticulture and were able to escape from cultivation and esta…
Some species of legumes are very important as foods for humans and domestic livestock. The seeds of legumes are typically highly nutritious and rich in protein, carbohydrates, oils, fiber, and other nutrients. However, the protein-rich nature of legume seeds, a consequence of their nitrogen-fixing symbiosis, is perhaps their most important attribute as a food for animals. Numerous species of legum…
Many tree-sized species in the legume family are valuable for their hard, durable timber. North American species are relatively minor in this respect, although the Kentucky coffee tree, black locust, and honey locust are used as lumber to some degree. Some leguminous species of tropical hardwoods are highly prized for fine woodworking. Purpleheart (Peltogyne paniculata) is a very hard, durable, an…
Some species of legumes are important in horticulture where they are typically grown for their beautiful flowers and sometimes as foliage plants. The scotch broom (Cytisus scoparius) is a green-stemmed, bushy shrub with attractive, yellow flowers. Gorse (Ulex europaeus) is also a shrub with spiny branches and bright yellow flowers. These shrubs are widely used in horticulture in temperate climates…
Some species of legumes that are cultivated in agriculture or horticulture have become naturalized in semi-natural and natural habitats, and some of these are locally considered to be invasive weeds. Examples of these species include Scotch broom, gorse, garden lupines, vetches, and some other species. These are rarely considered important enough as weeds to be the specific targets of control prog…
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