Fabaceae family is also known as the pea family, has about 670 genera and nearly 20,000 species of trees, shrubs, vines, and herbs. It is a large family of the plant kingdom which including several economically important plants. Leguminosae or Papilionaceae are other names given to the family Fabaceae as it belongs to the pea or legume family. The vegetative characters of the family Fabaceae are:
-they are dicotyledons with taproot with root nodules.
-their stems are erect or climber; Fabaceae include shrubs, herbs, trees and majorly climbers.
-the leaves of Fabaceae are petiolate, pinnately compound or simple; pulvinus leaf base, stipulate; reticulate venation. The floral characters of the family Fabaceae are:
-their flowers are complete, bisexual, zygomorphic, perigynous, bracteate/ ebracteate.
-the calyx has five sepals, gamosepalous; imbricate aestivation.
-the corolla has five petals, polypetalous, papilionaceous, vexillary aestivation.
-the androecium has ten stamens (9+1), diadelphous, anther dithecous.
-the gynoecium has a superior ovary, monocarpellary, unilocular, marginal placentation.
