La legume plant it is one of the most important for humans. This is so much the case that its fruits have been the basis of our diet for millennia, and even today without them, the healthy diet would be quite poor.
But as if that were not enough, and although it is hard to believe, I am not just talking about a type of plant that is used only as a horticultural, but can also take the form of a bush or tree with great ornamental value. Do we know it? : )
Characteristics of the legume plant
Cassia fistula
When we talk about leguminous plants we refer to some 19.400 species of trees, shrubs, herbaceous and even climbing plants distributed in 730 genera found throughout the world, although it is known that only in neotropical rainforests there are about 16% leguminous trees. All of them belong to the Fabaceae family (formerly Leguminosae).
Its main characteristics are the following:
- Leaves: they are normally alternate, compound, pinnate or bi-pinnate, finger or trifoliate. They are perennial or deciduous. They may have thorns.
- Flowers: small or large, formed by 5 yellow or pink petals. Raceme-type inflorescences are grouped, which is terminal or axillary.
- Fruit: it is a legume (hence the name) of variable length that, when opened, reveals the seeds.
- Seeds: they are usually numerous. They are high in starch and protein, and sometimes oils.
- Roots: they are often deep, and are usually associated with bacteria of the genus Rhizobium which assimilate atmospheric nitrogen.
Family tribes
Fruit of the Caesalpinia gilliesii // Image - Wikimedia / Paul veriter
Botany "tribes" are a group of plants whose main characteristics coincide with the standard species of the family, but are not exactly the same. For example, the type species of the Fabaceae is the addictive faba (known as broad bean), but there are many plants that, although they resemble it in essentials (fruit, leaves), are totally different species.
Well, these species are divided into different tribes, which would come to be like "mini-families" within the "great" family Fabaceae. And they are:
- cercideae: they are trees and vines native to the warm-temperate and tropical regions, especially America and Africa. The most popular genres are:
- detarieae: They are usually tropical trees native to Africa and South America.
- Caesalpinioideae: they are trees, subshrubs, herbs or sometimes climbing plants native to the tropical regions of America and Africa. The most popular genres are:
- Caesalpinia
- Senna
- gleditsia
- mimosoideae: they are trees or shrubs with very elegant foliage, almost feathery in appearance, originating in the warm regions of America and Africa. The best known genres are:
- Acacia
- Albizia
- calliandra
- Prosopis
- faboideae: they are trees, shrubs, vines or herbaceous native to all over the world except the polar regions. Plants of special food interest for humans are concentrated in this tribe, such as lima beans, chickpeas, clovers, soybean, or peas. The main genres are:
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