Family name: Fabaceae J. Lindley or Leguminosae Jussieu
Synonym(s): Acaciaceae E. Mey.; Aspalathaceae Martinov; Astragalaceae Bercht. & J. Presl; Caesalpiniaceae R. Br., nom. cons.; Cassiaceae Vest; Ceratoniaceae Link; Detariaceae Hess; Hedysaraceae Bercht. & J. Presl; Inocarpaceae Zoll.; Leguminosae Juss., nom. cons.; Mimosaceae R. Br., nom. cons.; Papilionaceae Giseke, nom. cons.; Phaseolaceae Mart.; Swartziaceae Bartl.; Viciaceae Oken
Common Name(s): legumelegume:
a usually dry, dehiscent fruit derived from a single carpel that opens along two longitudinal sutures, derived from a single, superior, simple ovary
family
*Number of genera/species: 798/19,500
List of genera records in GRIN-Global. See also image gallery on GRIN-Global
Fruits and Seeds of Legume Genera of the World provides a key and detailed descriptions of all Fabaceae genera.
or endocarpendocarp:
exposed), or seed
Fruit usually a unilocular legumelegume:
a usually dry, dehiscent fruit derived from a single carpel that opens along two longitudinal sutures, derived from a single, superior, simple ovary, sometimes lomentloment:
a usually dry fruit derived from a single carpel that breaks transversely into one-seeded fruit segments, derived from a single, superior, simple ovary
(actively or passively dehiscentdehiscent:
(v. dehisce) splitting open at maturity to release contents (of a fruit)
) or sometimes an acheneachene:
a dry, indehiscent, one-seeded fruit, with seed attached to pericarp at a single point, derived from a single, superior, simple or compound, one-loculed ovary
, rarely a pod or samarasamara:
a winged, indehiscent, dry fruit containing a single (rarely two) seed(s)
, 1–600 mm long (up to 2000 mm in Entada), variable in shape, often ellipsoidellipsoid:
3D shape—elliptic
to linearlinear:
(shape) long, narrow, and uniform in width; (of embryo) embryo is straight and much longer than wide
, prior to dehiscence majority of genera have straight fruits, some are folded, twisted, curvedcurved:
(of embryo) linear embryo is curved into an arch or horseshoe with the ends far apart
, or coiledcoiled:
(of embryo) linear embryo is very long and bent to form a coil whereby one end of the embryo is on the outside and the other end near the middle of the seed
, usually compressedcompressed:
flattened; in grasses, used to denote compression (not necessarily flattened) either laterally or dorsiventrally
in transection, beakedbeak:
a usually firm, terminal appendage, sometimes tapered
or not, stylestyle:
in a flower, the narrow and elongated part of the pistil between the stigma and the ovary; sometimes persisting in fruit
often persistent, sometimes winged, with one (lomentloment:
a usually dry fruit derived from a single carpel that breaks transversely into one-seeded fruit segments, derived from a single, superior, simple ovary segments or achenesachene:
a dry, indehiscent, one-seeded fruit, with seed attached to pericarp at a single point, derived from a single, superior, simple or compound, one-loculed ovary) to many seeds, rarely enclosed by persistent perianthperianth:
collective term for calyx and corolla of a flower
(loose, utricle-like or tight, achene-like). Fruits sometimes subtended by accrescentaccrescent:
growing continuously
, persistent calyxcalyx:
the outer whorl of the perianth; all the sepals of a flower
. Pericarppericarp:
fruit wall or fruit coat
usually black or brown, sometimes gray, green, yellow, orange, purple, or red, usually monochrome, sometimes bichrome, mottledmottled:
with colored spots, streaks, or blotches of a different color
, or streaked, shinyshiny:
uniformly reflecting a high proportion of incident light at all angles
or dulldull:
reflecting only a low proportion of incident light, with no apparent sheen
, leatheryleathery:
texture—moderately thick, tough, and very pliable
or chartaceouschartaceous:
papery, papyraceous
, sometimes woodywoody:
texture—consisting mainly of indurate lignified tissues, characteristic of or resembling wood
or membranousmembranous:
texture—extremely thin, pliable, and fairly tough
, rarely fleshy, glabrousglabrous:
without hairs
or not, usually smooth or variously sculptured. Mesocarpmesocarp:
the middle layer of the pericarp, if divided into layers usually present, fleshy (including spongyspongy:
soft, light, discontinuous but cohesive, and somewhat resilient
and pulpy), woodywoody:
texture—consisting mainly of indurate lignified tissues, characteristic of or resembling wood
, bonybony:
very hard and rather brittle, like bone
, or fibrousfibrous:
texture -- long, flexible threads, thicker than hairs, that densely cover and obscure the surface
. Endocarpendocarp:
the inner layer of the pericarp, if divided into layers, usually present and separating at dehiscence, thin, woodywoody:
texture—consisting mainly of indurate lignified tissues, characteristic of or resembling wood
, or bonybony:
very hard and rather brittle, like bone
, septateseptate:
structure with one or more septa
or not. A short or long funiculusfuniculus:
(alt. funicle) stalk connecting the ovule (later seed) to the ovary (later fruit) placenta
(to 50 mm long) is often visible and sometimes persistent after seeds are shed.
Seeds usually reniformreniform:
2D or 3D shape—kidney-shaped
or globoseglobose:
3D shape—more or less spherical
, compressedcompressed:
flattened; in grasses, used to denote compression (not necessarily flattened) either laterally or dorsiventrally
to tereteterete:
approximately circular in cross section; width and thickness approximately equal
in transection, 0.5–180 mm long. Rapheraphe:
a ridge or seam on the seed coat, formed by the portion of the funiculus united to the ovule wall in longitudinally curved ovules
often conspicuous. Seeds sometimes winged. ArilsAril:
(broad sense) appendicular structure that wholly or partly envelops a seed and is produced from or a modification of the funicle, raphe, or outer integument; usually fleshy or pulpy, sometimes spongy or tufted-capillate, often brightly colored
often present, or remnants present and may obscure hilahilum:
on seeds, the scar indicating where the funiculus was attached; on grass caryopses, the scar visible on the outer fruit surface revealing where the seed is attached on the inner fruit wall surface; or in Asteraceae cypselae, the scar visible on the outer fruit wall revealing where the fruit was attached to the receptacle
, fleshy or dry, basalbasal:
at or pertaining to the point of attachment; (of embryo) embryo occupies one end of the seed
, marginalmarginal:
at, on, or close to the margin or border
, or encompassing seeds, annularannular:
3D shape—forming a ring
to cup-shaped. Seed coat usually brown or brown in combination with other colors, sometimes mottledmottled:
with colored spots, streaks, or blotches of a different color or streaked, dulldull:
reflecting only a low proportion of incident light, with no apparent sheen or glossyglossy:
shiny
, often firm or bonybony:
very hard and rather brittle, like bone
, glabrousglabrous:
without hairs
, usually appearing smooth, especially at low magnification, often with fold or notch between cotyledons and hypocotyl-radicle. Sometimes pleurogrampleurogram:
a U-shaped line on both seed faces resulting from a gaping break in the outer seed coat cells (exotestal palisades), present in Fabaceae subfamilies Mimosoideae and Caesalpinioideae
or pseudopleurogrampseudopleurogram:
a colored line visible on the seed coat that appears like the pleurogram
present. HilaHilum:
on seeds, the scar indicating where the funiculus was attached; on grass caryopses, the scar visible on the outer fruit surface revealing where the seed is attached on the inner fruit wall surface; or in Asteraceae cypselae, the scar visible on the outer fruit wall revealing where the fruit was attached to the receptacle punctate or larger than punctatepunctate:
surface relief—dotted with pits or with translucent, sunken glands or with colored dots, similar to pitted
(0.3 mm or more diam. x 0.1–9 mm long, rarely longer than 10 mm), circularcircular:
(of embryo) linear embryo is curved into an "O" shape
to linearlinear:
(shape) long, narrow, and uniform in width; (of embryo) embryo is straight and much longer than wide, sometimes irregular, often with median groove.
Embryo well developed, usually completely filling seed coat, sometimes green, axileaxile:
on or of the axis
and centric, foliatefoliate:
appearing leaf-like
, usually curvedcurved:
(of embryo) linear embryo is curved into an arch or horseshoe with the ends far apart, hypocotyl-radicle straight, coiledcoiled:
(of embryo) linear embryo is very long and bent to form a coil whereby one end of the embryo is on the outside and the other end near the middle of the seed, or curvedcurved:
(of embryo) linear embryo is curved into an arch or horseshoe with the ends far apart. Cotyledons investinginvesting:
(of embryo) embryo is nearly or completely filling seed coat, straight, and axile and centric with spatulate cotyledons and covering the stalk for at least half its length; (of cotyledons) cotyledons spatulate and covering the stalk for at least half its length
to spatulatespatulate:
2D shape—like a spatula; rounded at the apex, with base long and tapered; (of embryo) embryo is straight and axile and centric with the cotyledons expanded to form the shape of a spatula or spoon; (of cotyledons) cotyledons expanded and wider than the stalk but not invested into the stalk
, thin to moderately flat, entire or cordatecordate:
2D shape—heart-shaped, with attachment at or near the broad end (compare obcordate)
. Internal structures relative size and shape often useful in identification to species.
Endosperm absent, rarely copious.
Noxious Weeds: USA Federal Noxious Weed List, all terrestrial, Galega officinalis Linnaeus; Mimosa diplotricha C. Wright; M. pigra L. var pigra; Neltuma alpataco (Phil.) C. E. Hughes & G. P. Lewis (=*Prosopis alpataco Phil.); N. argentina (Burkart) C. E. Hughes & G. P. Lewis (=*P. argentina Burkart); N. articulata (S. Watson) C. E. Hughes & G. P. Lewis (=*P. articulata S. Watson); N. caldenia (Burkart) C. E. Hughes & G. P. Lewis (=*P. caldenia Burkart); N. calingastana (Burkart) C. E. Hughes & G. P. Lewis (=*P. calingastana Burkart); N. campestris (Griseb.) C. E. Hughes & G. P. Lewis (=*P. campestris Griseback); N. castellanosii (Burkart) C. E. Hughes & G. P. Lewis (=*P. castellanosii Burkart); N. denudans (Benth.) C. E. Hughes & G. P. Lewis (=*Prosopis denudans Bentham); N. elata (Burkart) C. E. Hughes & G. P. Lewis (=*P. elata (Burkart) Burkart); N. fiebrigii (Harms) C. E. Hughes & G. P. Lewis (=*P. fiebrigii Harms); N. hassleri (Harms) C. E. Hughes & G. P. Lewis (=*P. hassleri Harms); N. humilis (Gillies ex Hooker & Grev.) C. E. Hughes & G. P. Lewis (=*P. humilis Gillies ex Hooker & Arnott); N. kuntzei (Harms ex Kuntze) C. E. Hughes & G. P. Lewis (=*P. kuntzei Harms); N. pallida (Humb. & Bonpl. ex Willd.) C. E. Hughes & G. P. Lewis (=*P. pallida (Humboldt & Bonpland ex Willdenow) Kunth); Neltuma rojasiana (Burkart) C. E. Hughes & G. P. Lewis (=*P. rojasiana Burkart); N. ruizlealii (Burkart) C. E. Hughes & G. P. Lewis (=*P. ruizlealii Burkart); N. ruscifolia (Griseb.) C. E. Hughes & G. P. Lewis (=*P. ruscifolia Grisebach); N. sericantha (Gillies ex Hooker) C. E. Hughes & G. P. Lewis (=*P. sericantha Gillies ex Hooker & Arnott); Prosopis farcta (Banks & Solander) J.F. Macbride; Strombocarpa burkartii (Muñoz) C. E. Hughes & G. P. Lewis (=*P. burkartii Munoz); S. ferox (Griseb.) C. E. Hughes & G. P. Lewis(=*P. ferox Grisebach); S. palmeri (S. Watson) C. E. Hughes & G. P. Lewis (=*P. palmeri S. Watson); S. reptans (Benth.) A. Gray (=*Prosopis reptans Bentham var. reptans); S. strombulifera (Lam.) A. Gray (=*P. strombulifera (Lamarck) Bentham); S. torquata (Cav. ex Lag.) C. E. Hughes & G. P. Lewis (=*P. torquata (Cavanilles ex Lagasca y Segura) de Candolle); Vachellia nilotica (L.) P.J.H.Hurter & Mabb.(=*Acacia nilotica (Linnaeus) Wildenow ex Delile).
*Name listed in USA Federal Noxious Weed Regulations and tool linked below.
Federal Noxious Weed Disseminules of the US tool provides keys, descriptions, and images of these species. Aquarium & Pond Plants of the World tool includes descriptions and images of genera, which may be encountered.
| Fruit | |
| Type | legumelegume: a usually dry, dehiscent fruit derived from a single carpel that opens along two longitudinal sutures, derived from a single, superior, simple ovary , lomentloment:a usually dry fruit derived from a single carpel that breaks transversely into one-seeded fruit segments, derived from a single, superior, simple ovary , acheneachene:a dry, indehiscent, one-seeded fruit, with seed attached to pericarp at a single point, derived from a single, superior, simple or compound, one-loculed ovary , indehiscentindehiscent:not opening on its own, as in a fruit  pod, samarasamara:a winged, indehiscent, dry fruit containing a single (rarely two) seed(s) |
| Size range | 1–600 (–2000) mm long |
| Shape(s) | ellipsoidellipsoid: 3D shape—elliptic , fusiformfusiform: spindle-shaped; broadest at the middle and tapering at both ends  , linearlinear:(shape) long, narrow, and uniform in width; (of embryo) embryo is straight and much longer than wide , lanceoloidlanceoloid:3D shape—lanceolate , oblongoblong: 2D shape—much longer than broad with nearly parallel sides, corners are rounded  , ovoidovoid:3D shape—ovate  , dolabriformdolabriform:3D shape—axe-shaped, elongate, basally terete, becoming strongly compressed toward an abruptly and unilaterally broader apex , harp-shaped, irregular, didymousdidymous: 3D shape—paired, usually inflated and appears as two globose to ovoid halves pressed together , moniliformmoniliform: elongate, relatively slender, transversely round, and more or less regularly constricted over its length, the whole straight or variously curved; like a necklace of beads, see torulose  , angledangular:2D shape—having sides that meet at acute or obtuse angles (quandrangular or rectangular), rhomboid, triangulartriangular: 2D shape—three relatively straight sides with distinct corners; more angular than teardrop-shaped  , reniformreniform:2D or 3D shape—kidney-shaped , falcatefalcate:shaped like a scythe or sickle  , C-shapedC-shaped:2D-shape—semiannulate, curved into the shape of the letter 'C' , circularcircular: (of embryo) linear embryo is curved into an "O" shape , coiledcoiled:(of embryo) linear embryo is very long and bent to form a coil whereby one end of the embryo is on the outside and the other end near the middle of the seed , S-shaped |
| Texture | woodywoody: texture—consisting mainly of indurate lignified tissues, characteristic of or resembling wood , leatheryleathery: texture—moderately thick, tough, and very pliable , chartaceouschartaceous: papery, papyraceous , membranousmembranous: texture—extremely thin, pliable, and fairly tough , rarely fleshy |
| Surface relief | smooth, groovedgrooved: surface relief—linear depressions that may be single or form a series of grooves over the surface  , ribbedribbed:surface relief—wide, prominent, linear ridges that are generally rounded and longitudinally situated on the surface  , reticulatereticulate:surface relief—netted, raised walls or concave grooves forming a net-like surface pattern with flat, concave, or convex interspaces  , wrinkledwrinkled:surface relief—shallow, irregular folds and furrows covering the surface; appearing overall though crumpled and then spread out  , veinedveined:surface relief—lines that intersect in a vein pattern that is flush or slightly raised from the surface  , tuberculatetuberculate:surface relief—bearing small, warty, swelling, rounded, or variously shaped projections  , blisteredblistered:surface relief—covered with irregular raised, hollow granules that give the surface a bubbled appearance  , papillosepapillate:surface relief—bearing minute, distinct, broad-based projections, tapering to a rounded apex  , pustulatepustular:surface relief—with small blisters or pustules  , scurfy, prickly, spinyspiny:having slender, stiff, sharp projections oriented in the general plane of the structure  , or with glandularglandular:surface relief—covered with small, raised secretory glands, regular or irregularly shaped, translucent or opaque, and maybe distinctly colored  discs or dots |
| Color(s) | usually black or brown, sometimes gray, green, yellow, orange, purple, or red, sometimes bichrome, mottledmottled: with colored spots, streaks, or blotches of a different color , or streaked |
| Unique features | Usually legumeslegume: a usually dry, dehiscent fruit derived from a single carpel that opens along two longitudinal sutures, derived from a single, superior, simple ovary , dehiscing along one or both sutures, with hard coated, globoseglobose:3D shape—more or less spherical to reniformreniform:2D or 3D shape—kidney-shaped seeds with visible hilahilum:on seeds, the scar indicating where the funiculus was attached; on grass caryopses, the scar visible on the outer fruit surface revealing where the seed is attached on the inner fruit wall surface; or in Asteraceae cypselae, the scar visible on the outer fruit wall revealing where the fruit was attached to the receptacle , often larger than punctatepunctate:surface relief—dotted with pits or with translucent, sunken glands or with colored dots, similar to pitted . |
| Seed | |
| Size range | 0.5–180 mm long |
| Shape(s) | most commonly reniformreniform: 2D or 3D shape—kidney-shaped , also lens-shapedlens-shaped:2D shape—round and flattened with two curved (convex) surfaces , globoseglobose: 3D shape—more or less spherical , ellipsoidellipsoid:3D shape—elliptic , linearlinear: (shape) long, narrow, and uniform in width; (of embryo) embryo is straight and much longer than wide , oblongoblong:2D shape—much longer than broad with nearly parallel sides, corners are rounded , ovoidovoid:3D shape—ovate , pear-shaped, bilobed, falcatefalcate:shaped like a scythe or sickle , C-shapedC-shaped:2D-shape—semiannulate, curved into the shape of the letter 'C' , cordatecordate: 2D shape—heart-shaped, with attachment at or near the broad end (compare obcordate) , D-shapedD-shaped:2D shape—has one straight margin and one curved margin, resembling the shape of the letter D , hippocrepiformhippocrepiform: 3D shape—horseshoe-shaped , angledangular: 2D shape—having sides that meet at acute or obtuse angles (quandrangular or rectangular), rhomboid, triangulartriangular: 2D shape—three relatively straight sides with distinct corners; more angular than teardrop-shaped , irregular, mitaformmitaform:shaped like a child's mitten |
| Surface relief | usually smooth, sometimes smooth, groovedgrooved: surface relief—linear depressions that may be single or form a series of grooves over the surface , ridgedridged:surface relief—raised, thick ridges, sharp edged or rounded, usually in a series that may cover the entire surface  , wrinkledwrinkled:surface relief—shallow, irregular folds and furrows covering the surface; appearing overall though crumpled and then spread out , pittedpitted:surface relief—surface with small depressions in which the areas between the hollows do not take on the appearance of a true reticular net  , striatestriate:surface relief—having fine, parallel lines, grooves or ridges  , cracked, wartywarty:surface relief—distinct, rounded projections that are large relative to the fruit size; tuberculate, verrucose  , echinate, papillatepapillate:surface relief—bearing minute, distinct, broad-based projections, tapering to a rounded apex |
| Color(s) | brown or brown in combination with other colors, rarely black, blue, gray, green, olive, yellow, orange, red, purple, red, scarlet, or white, sometimes mottledmottled: with colored spots, streaks, or blotches of a different color or streaked |
| Unique features | Brown, hard-coated, smooth reniformreniform: 2D or 3D shape—kidney-shaped or lens-shapedlens-shaped:2D shape—round and flattened with two curved (convex) surfaces seeds with visible punctatepunctate: surface relief—dotted with pits or with translucent, sunken glands or with colored dots, similar to pitted or larger than punctatepunctate:surface relief—dotted with pits or with translucent, sunken glands or with colored dots, similar to pitted hilahilum:on seeds, the scar indicating where the funiculus was attached; on grass caryopses, the scar visible on the outer fruit surface revealing where the seed is attached on the inner fruit wall surface; or in Asteraceae cypselae, the scar visible on the outer fruit wall revealing where the fruit was attached to the receptacle and embryo completely to nearly filling seed coat. If hilahilum:on seeds, the scar indicating where the funiculus was attached; on grass caryopses, the scar visible on the outer fruit surface revealing where the seed is attached on the inner fruit wall surface; or in Asteraceae cypselae, the scar visible on the outer fruit wall revealing where the fruit was attached to the receptacle larger than punctatepunctate:surface relief—dotted with pits or with translucent, sunken glands or with colored dots, similar to pitted , then usually with a distinct cleft or line bisecting it. Seeds sometimes arillate or with U-shaped line on the faces. |
| Other | |
| Embryo | well developed, usually completely filling seed coat, sometimes green, axileaxile: on or of the axis and centric, foliatefoliate: appearing leaf-like , usually curvedcurved: (of embryo) linear embryo is curved into an arch or horseshoe with the ends far apart , hypocotyl-radicle straight, coiledcoiled:(of embryo) linear embryo is very long and bent to form a coil whereby one end of the embryo is on the outside and the other end near the middle of the seed , or curvedcurved:(of embryo) linear embryo is curved into an arch or horseshoe with the ends far apart . Cotyledons investinginvesting:(of embryo) embryo is nearly or completely filling seed coat, straight, and axile and centric with spatulate cotyledons and covering the stalk for at least half its length; (of cotyledons) cotyledons spatulate and covering the stalk for at least half its length to spatulatespatulate: 2D shape—like a spatula; rounded at the apex, with base long and tapered; (of embryo) embryo is straight and axile and centric with the cotyledons expanded to form the shape of a spatula or spoon; (of cotyledons) cotyledons expanded and wider than the stalk but not invested into the stalk , thin to moderately flat, entire or cordatecordate:2D shape—heart-shaped, with attachment at or near the broad end (compare obcordate) . Internal structures relative size and shape often useful in identification to species. |
| Nutritive tissue | endosperm absent, rarely copious |
Distribution map courtesy of Angiosperm Phylogeny Website.
Gunn 1984Gunn 1984:
Gunn CR. 1984. Fruits and seeds of genera in the subfamily Mimosoideae (Fabaceae). Technical Bulletin USDA 1681:1&-194.; Gunn 1991Gunn 1991:
Gunn CR. 1991. Fruits and seeds of genera in the subfamily Caesalpinioideae (Fabaceae). Technical Bulletin USDA 1755:1&-408.; Kirkbride et al. 2003Kirkbride et al. 2003:
Kirkbride JH Jr, Gunn CR, and Weitzman AL. 2003. Fruits and seeds of genera in the subfamily Faboideae (Fabacerae). Technical Bulletin USDA 1890:1–1208.; Kirkbride et al. 2006Kirkbride et al. 2006:
Kirkbride JH, Jr, Gunn CR, and Dallwitz MJ. 2006. Family guide for fruits and seeds, vers. 1.0. Accessed September 2020-January 2022. URL: https://nt.ars-grin.gov/seedsfruits/keys/frsdfam/index.cfm .; Lionakis Meyer and Price 2021Lionakis Meyer and Price 2021:
Lionakis Meyer DJ and Price RA. 2021. Identification Guide to Large-seeded Members of the Subfamily Faboideae (Fabaceae). California Department of Food and Agriculture Plant Pest Diagnostics Center &- Seed Science Laboratory Sacramento, California. https://analyzeseeds.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Fabaceae-large-seeded-legumes-2021.pdf; Noxious Weed Regulations 2020Noxious Weed Regulations 2020:
Noxious Weed Regulations. 2020. 7 C.F.R. sect; 360.100-360.600.; USDA 1980USDA 1980:
United States Dept. of Agriculture (USDA). 1980. Major weed family identification guide. Hyattsville Md, United States ; Takhtajan 2009Takhtajan 2009:
Takhtajan A. 2009. Flowering plants: Second edition. Springer Nature, Switzerland. 871 pp.
*The number of genera and species is based on Christenhusz and Byng 2016Christenhusz and Byng 2016:
Christenhusz MJM and Byng JW. 2016. The number of known plant species in the world and its annual increase. Phytotaxa 261 (3): 201-217. https://doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.261.3.1, which may differ from the number of genera in GRIN-Global.
Authors: M. Islam, A. Gottlieb, M. Maher, J. Scher, A. Redford
Content last updated August 2024
idtools.org
