Spermatophyta: Dicotyledonae: Archichlamydeae:

Fabaceae - Pea and bean family

Description of the family

Trees, shrubs, climbers or, most often, herbs. Leaves alternate, most often pinnate or pinnately 3-foliolate, less often digitately 3-foliolate, occasionally 1-foliolate, simple or digitate; pulvinus always present at the base of each leaflet, and usually present at base of petiole. Inflorescences of racemes or panicles, less often umbellate, capitate or spicate. Fls zygomorphic, papilionaceous, with a large, often erect, adaxial petal (standard), two lateral petals (wings) parallel with each other, and two lower petals, which are often connate by their lower margins to form a keel. Sepals united at base. Petals imbricate in bud. Stamens usually 10, rarely fewer, either all fused (monadelphous) or 1 free and 9 fused (diadelphous) or rarely all free. Pods various. Seeds without areoles.

Worldwide: 313 genera and 8,100 species, cosmopolitan

Britain: 3 cultivated genera and 1 cultivated taxon.

No image of a cultivated species but there is an image of a native or naturalised species

Links to cultivated genera:     View: living plant images - herbarium specimen images - all images for this family

GenusContent
Laburnum Fabr.
Medicago L.Description
Trifolium L.Description

Other sources of information about Fabaceae:

External websites:

GRIN (Germplasm Resources Information Network) taxonomy for plants report for Fabaceae
Google: Web - Images - Scholar


Copyright: Mark Hyde, 2008-24

Hyde, M.A. (2024). UK Flora: Cultivated plants: Family page: Fabaceae.
https://www.ukflora.info/cult/family.php?family_id=197, retrieved 29 March 2024

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