Leguminosae
(legume family)
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| Acacia |
Traditional approach is to treat all legumes as one large, somewhat heterogenous family, the Leguminosae, under order Rosales. Bentham and Hooker followed this approach and divided family Leguminosae into three subfamilies (Papilionaceae, Caesalpinieae and Mimoseae). However majority of taxonomists (Hutchinson, 1973, Takhtajan, 1980, Cronquist, 1981, etc.) treat all these three as three separate families (Mimosaceae, Caesalpiniaceae and Fabaceae or Papilionaceae) under order Fabales or Leguminales. Lets follow the traditional approach of Bentham and Hooker.
Leguminosae
(General characters)
Leguminosae represented by about 600 genera and over 12000 species, is the third largest family of the flowering plants. Plants are herbs, shrubs, trees or vines. Leaves are usually simple or pinnately compound, often trifoliate, rarely palmately compound. Flowers usually have 5 petals, with 2 anterior petals fused along their margins to form a keel. Fruit is usually a legume or momentum. Seeds are usually with a shining, leathery testa.
Subfamily Mimosodeae or Mimoseae
(Mimosa family)
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| Acacia |
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| Mimosa pudica |
Represented by about 56 genera and 2800 species, Mimosoideae are predominantly tropical and subtropical in distribution and almost absent in the colder regions of the world. About 15 genera and 75 species of this subfamily have so far been reported from India.Some selected Indian genera are-
- Acacia, Mimosa,
- Albizzia, Leucaena,
- Desmanthus,
- Prosopis,
- Schrankia and
- Neptunia.
- Mimosa pudica (sensitive plant) is the best known plant of this subfamily.
Economic Importance
- Ornamental plants-
- Acacia arabica syn.
- A. nilotica (babool or kikar),
- A. concinna (rassaul),
- A. farnesiana (vilayati kikar),
- A. melanoxylon (Australian acacia),
- Albizzia lebbek (siris),
- Leucaena leucocephala (subabul),
- Mimosa pudica (sensitive plant) and
- Pithecellobium dulce are commonly grown ornamental plants.
Catechu of Commerce or katha- Katha, used for colouring khaki clothes and taken with betel leaves, is obtained from the heartwood of Acacia catechu.
Gum arabic- True gum arabic, used in medicine, confectionery and textile industry, is obtained from Acacia senegal and A. stenocarpa.
Tannins- Bark of several species of Acacia (A. catechu, A. decurrent, A. leucophloea, A. pennate, etc.) is rich in tannins and is used in tanning of animal skins.
Timber- Valuable timber for furniture, cabinet work, agricultural implements and other similar purposes is obtained from various species of:
- Acacia (A. catechu, A. ferriginea, A. leucophloea, A. nilotica),
- Albizzia (A. amara, A. chinensis, A. lebbek, A. procera),
- Adenanthera pavoniana and
- Xylia xylocarpa.
Edible products-
- Beans of Entada phaseoloides,
- Leaves of Neptunia oleracea and
- Seeds of Pithecellobium dulce.
- Fruits and seeds of Prosopis cineraria and
- Samanea saman are used as fodder.
Miscellaneous uses-
- Acacia concinna (shikakai) pods are used for washing hair;
- A. decurrens and Xylia xylocarpa wood pulp is used for making wrapping paper;
- A. farnesiana flowers provide us a delicate perfume;
- A. nilotica plants are used as host for lac insects;
- A. sinuata pods are used for manufacturing of shampoos;
- Adenanthera pavoniana seeds are used as weights by jewellers;
- Entada phaseoloides seeds are used for washing hair.
Subfamily Caesalpinioideae or Caesalpinieae
(Cassia family)
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| Cassia fistula |
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| Delonix regia |
It is represented by about 180 genera and 3000 species and is distributed mainly in tropical and sub tropical countries. About 23 genera and 85 species of this subfamily have been reported from India.Some selected Indian genera are-
- Cassia,
- Bauhinia,
- Caesalpinia,
- Delonix,
- Parkinsonia,
- Saraca and
- Tamarindus.
They are mostly trees (Tamarindus) and shrubs (Parkinsonia), rarely herbs (Cassia Tora), or prickly climbers (Caesalpinia sepiaria); Cassia comprises all the three habits i.e. herbs (C. pumila), shrubs (C. timoriensis) and tall trees (C. javanica)
Economic Importance
Ornamental plants:
- Amherstia nobilis,
- Bauhinia acuminata (safed kachnar),
- B. corymbosa (white flowers),
- B. galpini (scarlet flower),
- B. monandra (hedge plant),
- B. purpurea (purple- flowered kachnar or Orchid tree),
- B. racemes (pink flowered kachnar),
- B. tomentosa (yellow-flowered),
- B. variegata (variegated-flowered kachnar),
- Caesalpinia pulcherrima (orange or yellow-flowered Poinciana),
- Cassia alata,
- C. fistula,
- C. javanica,
- C. marginata,
- C. roxburghii,
- C. siamea,
- Cercis siliquastrum (Judas tree),
- Delonix alata (white gulmohar),
- D. regia (gulmohar or royal Poinciana),
- Parkinsonia aculeata (vilayati kikar) and
- Saraca indica (Ashok tree).
Medicinal value:
- Caesalpinia bunduc seeds are used in diarrhoea and rheumatism;
- Cassia acutifolia leaves are used as a purgative;
- C. alata leaves are used in skin infections;
- C. fistula fruit pulp is taken as a purgative;
- C. occidentalis seeds and leaves are used in skin infections;
- C. sophera leaf decoction is beneficial in acute bronchitis
Haematoxylin:The best known nuclear stain, haematoxylin, is obtained from the heartwood of Haematoxylon campechianum (logwood).
Timber:Valuable timber useful in making agricultural implements is obtained from:
- Cassia fistula,
- Copaifera pubiflora,
- Hardwickia binata (anjan),
- Hymenea courbril and
- Tamarindus indica (tamarind).
Tannin:Tannin of commercial importance is obtained from the bark and seeds of:
- Bauhinia malabarica,
- B. purpurea,
- B. racemosa,
- B. vahlii,
- B. variegata,
- Caesalpinia coriaria,
- C. digyna and
- C. sepiaria.
Edible products:
- Floral buds of Bauhinia purpurea (kachnar) are cooked as vegetable,
- Leaves and tender seeds of B. malabarica are also eaten,
- Roasted seeds of Cassia occidentalis are used in place of coffee while that of Gymnocladus canadensis are used as Kentucky coffee,
- Acidic fruit pulp of Tamarindus indica is used for sauces, curries, chutneys, etc.
Gum is obtained from:
- Bauhinia racemosa,
- B. variegata and
- Copaifera pubiflora.
Fibre for making ropes is obtained from the bark of:
- Bauhinia racemosa and
- B. tomentosa.
Red dye for making red ink is obtained from the heartwood of Caesalpinia sepiaria.
Subfamily Papilionoideae
(pea or bean family)
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| Pisum sativum |
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| Lathyrus |
Usually herbs, shrubs or trees, leaves simple or impair-innately compound or palmate, corolla papilionaceous (i.e. consisting of a standard, 2 wings and a keel). It contains about 500 genera and over 10,000 species. It is distributed all over the globe except for arctic regions and is largely represented in warm temperate regions of both Northern and Southern Hemispheres. Over 100 genera and 800 species have so far been from India. Astragalus (milk velch), the largest genus of this subfamily, contains about 2,000 species.Selected Indian genera are-
- Arachis,
- Cicer,
- Crotalaria,
- Dalbergia,
- Dolichos,
- Glycine,
- Indigofera,
- Lathyrus,
- Pisum,
- Vicia and
- Vigna.
Economic Importance
Subfamily Papilionoideae 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 hypogea (groundnut, source of edible seeds, oil, peanut butter),
- Indigofera tinctoria (Indigo plant, source of indigo dye) and
- Lathyrus odoratus (sweet pea, well known ornamental).
Pulses and vegetables: Source of proteins and starch of our food. These include:
- Arhar or pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan),
- Bankla or field bean (Vicia faba),
- Chana or gram (Cicer arietinum),
- Gwar or cluster bean (Cyamopsis tetragonoloba),
- Lobia or lima bean (Phaseolus lunatus),
- Masoor or lentil (Lens culinaris syn. L. esculanta),
- Matar or pea (Pisum sativum),
- Moth or dew gram (Vigna aconitifolia syn. Phaseolus aconitifolius),
- Mung or green gram (Vigna radiata syn. Phaseolus radiatus),
- Rajma or cow pea (Vigna unguiculata),
- Sem or bean (Lublub purpureus syn. Dolichos lablab),
- Soybean or soya (Glycine max syn. Glycine soja),
- Urd or black gram (Vigna mungo syn. Phaseolus mungo),
- Kidney bean (Phaseolus vulgaris).
Ornamental plants:
- Clianthus dampieri (glory pea),
- Clitoria ternatea (Butterfly pea, blue coloured climber),
- Erythrina indica (Indian coral tree, orange, red flowered),
- 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),
- Wisteria sinensis (Chinese Wisteria, variously coloured flowers).
Oils:
- Arachis hypogaea (groundnut or peanut) is source of edible peanut oil; seeds are eaten after roasting; oil is used for preparing soaps, cosmetics; oil cake is used as fodder,
- Pongamia pinnata (Pongam oil) is obtained from its seeds and is used for illumination, soap preparation and medicinal purposes),
- Psophocarpus tetragonolobus (goa bean) seed yield the oil used for soap making and cooking,
- Spatholobus roxburghii, oil from its seeds is used for anointing and cooking.
Fodder:Several plants of this family are of high forage value and grown as fodder for cattle. These include:
- Medica sativa (Alfalfa or rizka),
- M. abscura,
- M. hispida,
- Trifolium repens (clovers),
- T. pratense,
- Dolichos biflorus,
- Phaseolus aconitifolius,
- Pisum sativum,
- Vicia benghalensis and
- V. sativa.
Timber:Valuable timber used for furniture, cabinet works & other building materials is obtained from:
- Baphia nitida,
- Dalbergia sisso (Shisham),
- D. latifolium (kala shisham),
- D. melanoxylon (African black wood),
- Pterocarpus indices (Malay padauk),
- P. dalbergioides (Andaman redwood),
- P. marsupium (Indian kino tree) and
- P. santanilus (Red sandalwood or lal chandan).
Medicinal value:Several plants of this subfamily are used as the source of drugs. Some of them are:
- Abrus precatorius (Ratti) leaves and roots are used in cough and cold;
- Crotalaria albida roots are used as purgative;
- Glycyrrhiza glabra (Mulhatti or Liquorice) roots are used in cough and sore throat;
- Krameria triandra roots are used in chronic diarrhoea;
- Moghania grahamiana roots are anthelmintic;
- M. strobilifera roots induce sleep;
- Physostigma venenosum seeds are used in eye troubles;
- Psoralea corylifolia seeds are used in leucoderma and leprosy;
- Teramnus labialis entire plant is useful in tuberculosis and
- Uraria lagopodioides leaves and roots are used in intermittent fever.
Insecticides:
- Roots of Derris elliptica, D. ferruginea and D. trifoliate,
- roots and seeds of Milletia extend,
- entire plant of Spatholobus roxburghii, and
- roots of Tephrosia vogelii possess insecticidal properties.
Solar hats and Toys:Stuffing material of sunhat is the soft wood of Aeschynomene aspera and A. indica. Pith of these plants is used for making toys.
Dyes:
- Orange red dye is obtained from the flowers of Butea monosperma (dhak);
- Blue dye is obtained from the flowers and seeds of Clitoria ternatea;
- Black dye is obtained from the flowers of crotolaria striata;
- red dye is obtained from the flowers of Erythrina variegata;
- 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;
- Yellow dye is obtained from the pods of Psoralia pricata and
- Red dye is produced from the wood of Pterocarpus santalinus.
Green manuring:Because of presence of nitrogen fixing bacteria in the lateral roots, several members of this subfamily are grown for enriching the soil with nitrogen and then ploughed as 'green manure' in the field. Some such members include-
- Crotalaria juncea,
- Medicago sativa,
- Tephrosia vogelii,
- Trifolium pratense and
- Trigonella foenum-graceum.
Fibre:Some of the fibre yielding plants of this subfamily, used for making cords, ropes, bags etc. include:
- Butea monosperma (dhak),
- Crotalaria juncea (Sunhemp),
- Erythrina variegata,
- Millettia auriculata,
- Sesbania bispinosa,
- S. cannabina and
- S. sesban.
Gums and resins:Gum and resins obtained from some of the plants of this subfamily are-
- Astragalus gummifer used in confectionery, cosmetics and textile industry)'
- A. strobiliferus used in glazing and calico printing,
- Cyamopsis tetragonoloba used info and textile industry and
- Myroxylum balsamum used in medicine and perfumery.
Honey production:
- Lathyrus odoratus,
- Medicago sativa,
- Pisum sativum and
- Trifolium pratense are some of the plants of this subfamily which are used for artificial culture of bees for honey production.
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