PLANT SYSTEMATICS 1

DR. ZAFAR ULLAH ZAFAR

FAMILY: PAPILIONACEAE (FABACEAE)

The family Papilionaceae contains about 500 genera and over 10,000 species. It is
distributed all over the globe excepting arctic regions, and is largely represented in
warm temperate regions of both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. Astragalus
(Milk Vetch), the largest genus of this family, contains about 2,000 species. Some of the
other larger genera of which 100 or more species have been reported, include
Indigofera (700, Indigo), a Crotalaria (600, Rattlebox), Desmodium (450, Beggar-
lice), Dalbergia (300, Shisham), Trifolium (300, Clover), Phaseolus (240,
Cultivated beans), Lupinus (200, Lupine). Vicia (150, Broad bean), Lathyrus (130,
Sweet pea), Medicago (110, Alfalfa), Lotus (100, Birds-fool), and Vigna (100,
Southern pea).
Takhtajan (1969) called the family as Fabaceae. Cronquist (1981) and Jones and
Luchsinger (1987) also used the name Fabaceae for Papilionaceae.
General Habit: Mostly herbs; however, shrubs, trees, and climbers are also
common; Clitoria, Dolichos, Phaseolus, etc. are twiners; Crotalaria juncea is an
example of shrub; Sesbania is a small tree whereas species of Dalbergia,
Erythrina, Pterocarpus, etc. are large trees.
Roots: Lateral branches of roots of most Papilionaceae contain nodules, which
contain nitrogen-fixing bacteria (.Rhizobium) having the ability to fix the atmospheric
nitrogen.
Leaves: Usually alternate, stipulate, compound, with Pulvinus leaf base; stipules are
adnate (Medicago, Trifolium), or free lateral (.Cajanus, Sesbania), or foliaceous
(Pisum); compound leaves may be unifoliate (.Desmodium gangeticum), or
bifoliate (Zorina) or trifoliate (Medicago, Trifolium, Trigonella), paripinnate
(Sesbania), or imparipinnate (.Robinia); in Indigofera cordifolia the leaves are
simple; terminal leaflet modifies into a tendril in Lathyrus, Pisum and Vicia.
Inflorescence: Usually racemose raceme (Melilotus alba), or head or
capitulum (.Trifolium), or spike (Uraria), rarely an umbel, or panicles (Dalbergia);
sometimes the flowers are solitary (some species of Lathyrus).
Flowers: Bracteate, complete, hermaphrodite, zygomorphic, pentamerous,
hypogynous or sometimes perigynous.
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DR. ZAFAR ULLAH ZAFAR

Calyx: 5 sepals, more or less united in a tube and persistent; valvate or imbricate;
invariably the odd sepal is anterior in position.
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DR. ZAFAR ULLAH ZAFAR

Corolla: 5 petals, very unequal and papilionaceous (i.e. 1-posterior petal is largest
and called standard or vexillum, 2 lateral petals are lanceolate and slightly curved
and called wings, and 2 anterior petals are asymmetrical and more or less united to
form a boat shaped structure and called keel); all petals have a claw at the base.
Androecium: 10 stamens, diadelphous, usually 9+1 or sometimes 5+5; in case of
9+1 arrangement, 9 are united and 1 is free, and the free stamen is always posterior in
position; often the posterior stamen is sterile or even absent ( Arachis hypogaea,
Dalbergia sissoo) and the remaining 9 stamens show monadelphous condition; rarely
all the 10 stamens are free (Sophora).
Gynoecium: Monocarpellary; ovary superior, unilocular; ovules numerous,
marginal placentation; style and stigma simple.
Fruit and Seed: Fruit usually a legume, sometimes indehiscent; matures inside
the ground in Arachis hypogaea. Seeds usually with food reserves in cotyledons.
General Floral Formula:
Br, +, ♂, K(5), C1+2+(2), A(9) +1, Gl
Economic Importance:
Family Papilionaceae is of great economic importance as a source of high-protein food
(pulses), ornamentals, oil, forage, timber, dye, etc. Some of the universally known
economically important plants of this family include Glycine max (soybean, source of
oil and high-protein meal), Pisum sativum (garden pea), Cicer arietinum (gram or
Chana), Medicago sativa (alfalfa, world's best forage crop), Arachis hypogaea
(groundnut, source of edible seeds, oil, peanut butter), Indigofera tinctoria (Indigo
plant, source of indigo dye), and Lathyrus odoratus (sweet pea, well-known
ornamental).
1. Pulses and Vegetables: Source of Proteins and Starch of our Food:
These include
(i) Arhar or pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan),
(ii) Bankia or field bean (Vicia faba),
(iii) Chana or gram (.Cicer arietinum),
(iv) Gwar or cluster bean (Cyamopsis tetragonoloba),
(v) Lobia or lima bean (Phaseolus lunatus),
(vi) Masoor or lentil (.Lens culinaris syn. L. esculenta),
(vii) Matar or pea (Pisum sativum),
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DR. ZAFAR ULLAH ZAFAR

(viii) Moth or dew gram (Vigna aconitifolia syn. Phaseolus aconitifolius),

(ix) Mung or green gram (Vigna radiata syn. Phaseolus radiatus),
(x) Rajmah or cowpea (Vigna unguiculata),
(xi) Soybean or Soya (.Glycine max),
(xii) Urd or black gram (Vigna mungo syn. Phaseolus mungo),
(xiii) Vilayati Sem or kidney bean (.Phaseolus vulgaris).
2. Ornamental Plants: Source of Beautification: Clianthus dampieri
(Glory pea), Clitoria ternatea (Butterfly pea, blue-flowered climber), Erythrina
indica (Indian coral tree, orange red-flowered), Lathyrus odoratus (sweet pea,
variously-coloured flowers), Lupinus hirsutus (Lupine, variegated flowered annual),
Robinia pseudoacacia (Black locust, white-flowered tree), Sesbania grandiflora
(Sesban), S. sesban (Jait), Sophora japonica (Japanese Pagoda tree, multicoloured
flowers), and Wisteria sinensis (Chinese Wisteria, variously coloured flowers).
3- Oils: Arachis hypogaea (groundnut or peanut or Moongphali); source of edible
peanut oil; seeds are eaten after roasting; oil is used for preparing soaps, cosmetics; oil
cake is used as a fodder), Pongamia pinnata (Pongam oil; oil obtained from its seeds
is used for soap preparation and medicinal purposes), Psophocarpus
tetragonolobus (Goa bean; seeds yield the oil used for soap making and cooking).
4. Fodder: Several plants of this family are of high forage value and grown as
fodder for cattle. These include Medicago sativa (Alfalfa), M. hispida, Trifolium
repens (Clovers), T. pratense, Dolichos biflorus, Phaseolus aconitifolius,
Pisum sativum, Vicia benghalensis and V. saliva.
5. Timber: Valuable timber used for furniture, cabinet works and other building
materials is obtained from Baphia nitida, Dalbergia sissoo (Shisham), D.
latifolium (Kala Shisham),
6. Medicinal Value: Several plants of this family are used as the source of
drugs. Some of them, along with their parts utilized include
(i) Abrus precatorius (leaves and roots in cough and cold)
(ii) Crotalaria albida (roots used as purgative)
(iii)Glycyrrhiza glabra (Mulhatti or Liquorice, roots in cough and sore throat)
(iv) Krameria triandra (roots in chronic diarrhoea)
(v) Moghania strobilifera (roots induce sleep)
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DR. ZAFAR ULLAH ZAFAR

7. Insecticides: Roots of Derris elliptica, D. ferriginea and D. trifoliata,

roots and seeds of Milletia extras, entire plant of Spatholobus roxburghii, and
roots of Tephrosia vogelii possess insecticidal properties.
8. Dyes:
(i) Orange-red dye is obtained from the flowers of Butea monosperma (Dhak)
(ii) Blue dye is obtained from the flowers and seeds of Clitoria ternatea
(iii) Black dye is produced from the flowers of Crotalaria striata
(iv) Red dye is obtained from the flowers of Erythrina variegata
(v) Indigo, the famous blue dye used for dyeing cotton clothes and in making
paints and printing ink is obtained from Indigofera tinctoria and some
other species
(vi) Red dye is produced from the wood of Pterocarpus santalinus.
9. Green Manuring: Because of the presence of nitrogen-fixing bacteria in the
lateral roots, several members of this family are grown for enriching the soil with
nitrogen and then ploughed as "green manure" in the field. Some of such members
include Crotalaria juncea, Medicago sativa, Trifolium pratense and
Trigonella foenum-graecum.
10. Fibre: Some of the fibre-yielding plants of this family, used for making cords,
ropes, bags, etc. include Butea monosperma (Dhak), Crotalaria juncea
(Sunnhemp or Sani), Erythrina variegata
11. Gums and Resins: Gums and resins obtained from some of the plants of
this family such as Cyamopsis tetragonoloba (in food and textile industry), and
Myroxylum balsamum (in medicine and perfumery).
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DR. ZAFAR ULLAH ZAFAR