Name: Fabaceae
Alternative Name: Leguminosae
Meaning of Name:
Fabaceae, from Faba (‘obsolete genus name of broad beans’), from Latin faba (‘bean, broad bean’) + Latin -āceae (the feminine plural of -āceus, ‘resembling’, a suffix used to form the taxonomic family names of plants, algae, bacteria, and fungi)
Common Names:
The legume, pea or bean family
Botanical Information:
Fabaceae, or the legume, pea or bean family, is the third largest land-based plant family after the orchid and daisy families. It has about 765 genera and 19,000 species.
This family is of huge agricultural importance, and contains many species which have been food staples worldwide for millenia.
THe defining botanical characterisitcs of Fabaceae species are the flower (often called a ‘pea flower’) and the seed pod which readily splits along a seam to release the seeds. Fabaceae species are also known for the symbiotic relationship they form with nitrogen-fixing bacteria.
The photo chosen to illustrate this family shows flowers and seed pods of the Pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan).
Image copyright © Optimate Group Pty Ltd
