LEGUMINOSAE (FABACEAE, incl. CAESALPINIOIDEAE, MIMOSOIDEAE, PAPILIONIOIDEAE)
NB Leguminosae is a synonym of Fabaceae, and as conserved name they can be used both. This is the Plant Portrait in Malesian Seed Plants and is repeated under the three (former) subfamilies. This description will be updated once the Flora Malesiana description is available.
Morphological description
Plants usually with root nodules with N-fixing bacteria. Sometimes climber, pods with stinging hairs (Mucuna); shrub, pod moniliform (Sophora); fruit a berry (Dialium, Euchresta, Tamarindus); herb with two-armed hairs and pods bent downward (Indigofera).
Leaves
Leaves usually compound, stipulate; pedicel implanted on swelling of rachis.
Inflorescence
Inflorescence racemose (sometimes strongly reduced).
Flowers
Flowers ovary superior, 1-locular, parietal placentation. Usually hermaphroditic, sepals and petals connate at base; ovary stipitate; ovules in two rows
Fruit
Fruit usually a pod (dry capsule dehiscing with two valves). Sometimes pods with stinging hairs (Mucuna); pod moniliform (Sophora); fruit a berry (Dialium, Euchresta, Tamarindus); pods bent downward (Indigofera).
Seed
Seed.
Different from: Connaraceae: exstipulate, sepals free, 2 collateral ovules.
Distribution: The family world-wide. In Malesia 120 genera.
Notes: The subfamilies of the Leguminosae are often considered separate families, distinguished as follows: - Mimosoideae: leaves nearly always bipinnate, flowers actinomorphic, small, in dense heads or spikes, stamens usually numerous. - Caesalpinioideae: leaves usually pinnate, also bipinnate or simple, flowers slightly zygomorphic, usually large, in racemes or simple spikes, stamens usually 10, usually united. - Papilionoideae: leaves palmate, pinnate or simple, flowers zygomorphic, stamens nearly always 10 of which 9 united. The family displays a wide range of habits (herbs, climbers, and trees of various size and architecture) and is represented in various vegetation types. Many species are important food trees for animals and many species are useful to man. — Food plants: Arachis*, Archidendron, Canavalia, Dialium, Glycine max*, Inocarpus, Lablab, Pachyrrhizus*, Parkia, Phaseolus, Psophocarpus*, Sesbania, Tamarindus, Vigna, Voandzeia*. — Medicinal plants: Abrus, Cassia, Tamarindus. — Ornamentals: Acacia, Amherstia*, Caesalpinia, Calliandra*, Delonix*, Erythrina, Leucaena*, Maniltoa, Pongamia, Samanea*, Strongylodon. — Timber trees: Cynometra, Dalbergia, Dialium, Intsia, Kalappia, Koompassia, Paraserianthes, Pericopsis, Pterocarpus, Sindora.
Literature: Anonymous, tropical Legumes: resources for the future, Nat. Ac. Sc. (1979); B. Verdcourt, A manual of New Guinea Legumes. Bot. Bull. Lae no. 11 (1979); R.M. Polhill & P.H. Raven (eds.), Advances in Legume Systematics 1 & 2 (1981); I. Nielsen, Fl. Males. I, 11 (1992) 1-126 (Mimosaceae); Ding Hou, K. Larsen & S.S. Larsen, Fl. Males. I, 12 (1996) 409-730 (Caesalpiniaceae).
Spot characters (Van Balgooy): Leguminosae 2, 14, 30, 48, 56, 72, 76, 84, 99, 104 - Acacia 4, 5, 9, 12, 31, 50, 97 - Acrocarpus 50 - Adenanthera 50 - Aeschynomene 35 - Aganope 5 - Airyantha 5, 97 - Albizia 12, 31, 50 - Arachis 75 - Archidendron 31, 41, 155 42, 50, 70; A. aruense 9; A. ellipticum 18; A. pteropum 40 - Archidendropsis 50 - Astragalus 41 - Atylosia 31 - Bauhinia 4, 5, 38 - Bowringia 5 - Bracteolanthus 4 - Butea 98; B. monosperma p.p. 2 - Caesalpinia 4, 5, 12, 37, 45, 50, 59, 95; C. oppositifolia 6, 32, 49 - Cajanus 31 - Callerya 4, 5, 21, 70 - Cassia 24, 86; C. javanica 12, 35 - Cathormion 12 - Centrosema 36 - Clitoria 5 - Crotalaria 15, 59 - Crudia 31 - Cynometra cauliflora 70 - Dalbergia 4, 5, 8, 21, 98 - Delonix 50 - Derris 5, 97, 98; D. thyrsiflora 59 - Desmodium 37, 38, 68, 97 - Dialium 21 - Dichrostachys 12 - Diodea 5 - Dunbaria rubella 31 - Entada 4, 5, 50 - Erythrina 8, 12, 97, 98; E. variegata 25 - Euchresta 93 - Flemingia 31, 68 - Fordia 70, 73 - Gleditschia 12 - Indigofera 27, 28, 85 - Inga edulis 40 - Inocarpus 21, 40 - Kalappia 21, 98 - Kingiodendron 59 - Koompassia 98 - Kunstleria 5 - Lasiobema 4, 38 - Lathyrus 4 - Leucaena 50 - Lysiphyllum 4 - Macropsychanthus 5 - Mastersia 5, 54 - Millettia 5, 21; M. unifoliolata 38 - Mimosa 4, 50, 95 - Monarthrocarpus 5 - Mucuna 5, 29, 54, 70, 78 - Neocolletia 75 - Neptunia 50; N. oleracea 2 - Ormocarpus 95, 97 - Padbruggea 5 - Pararchidendron 50 - Paraserianthes 50 - Parkia 8, 50, 78 - Parkinsonia 12, 41, 97 - Peltophorum 50 - Phanera 38 - Phylacium 5 - Piliostigma 38 - Pisum 4 - Pithecellobium 50 - Pseudarthria 37 - Psoralea 31, 59 - Pterocarpus 21, 98 - Pterolobium 5, 12, 98 - Pueraria 5 - Pycnospora 5 - Rhynchocarpa 38 - Rhynchosia 5, 31 - Samanea 50 - Saraca 70 - Sarcodum 5 - Schizolobium 98 - Schleinitzia 50 - Schrankia 95 - Serianthes 50 - Sindora 95 - Sophora 97 - Spatholobus 5, 36, 98 - Strongylodon 5, 70, 78 - Sympetalandra 59 - Tadehagi 33, 39 - Tamarindus 97 - Tephrosia 5, 67 - Trifidacanthus 12 - Vigna 5, 75 - Voandzeia 75 - Wallaceodendron 50 - Zornia 95.
Illustrations: Fig. 89. Aeschynomene indica L.: a. leaflet; b. flower; c. staminal tube; d. pistil; e. pod; f. detail of pod; g. seed (Courtesy Koninklijk Instituut voor de Tropen, Amsterdam). Fig. 90. Archidendron grandiflora (Benth.) Nielsen, habit with flowers and pods. Fig. 91. Cynometra malaccensis Meeuwen: a. flowering twig; b. CS of flower; c. fruits. Fig. 92. Erythrina subumbrans Hassk.: a. leaf; b. flower; c. pod. Fig. 93. Fordia albiflora (Prain) Dasuki & Schot: a. habit; b-g. details of flower; h. pod. Fig. 94. Parkia timoriana (DC.) Merr.: a. leaf; b. inflorescence; c. pod; d. flower.
Images in PhytoImages for Fabaceae.
Image in PhytoImages for Mimosoideae