Name: Natural System of Classification
Uploaded: 2019-07-19
Duration: 13 min 5 s
Description: The natural system of classification is a type of classification in which properties such as morphology, cytology and anatomy are applied to find similaritie...

Question

Describe the characteristics of plants belonging to Fabaceae.

Accepted Answer

Plants that belong to Fabaceae family are distributed all over the world, mostly tropical, sub-tropical and mesophytic regions. Family Fabaceae was earlier called Papilionoideae.

Vegetative characteristics:

Habit- Majority of them are herbs, some are shrubs, trees, climbers, etc.

Root system- They have tap root system and nodular roots with symbiotic association with Rhizobia (Nitrogen fixing bacteria).

Stem- Aerial, prostrate or erect, herbaceous or woody climbers.

Leaves- simple or pinnately compound leaf, Cauline, alternate, stipulate, leaf base is pulvinate, petiolate with reticulate venation.

Floral characteristics:

Inflorescence- Raceme.

Flower- Bracteate, Ebracteolate or bracteolate, pedicellate, zygomorphic, bisexual, complete, pentamerous, perigynous with cup-shaped thalamus.

Calyx- Five sepals, gamosepalous, imbricate aestivation and odd petal is in the anterior position.

Corolla- Five petals, polypetalous, papilionaceous.

Androecium- The flowers of this family are protandrous. Stamens are ten, that are arranged in a diadelphous condition i.e. (9)+1 in Pisum or monadelphous as in Arachis.

Gynoecium- Monocarpellary, unilocular, half-superior ovary with many ovules arranged in marginal placentation, style is single, long and terminal.

Pollination- The type of pollination found in this family is cross-pollination with a special mechanism called piston mechanism.

Fruit- Legume, geocarpic.

Seed- Non-endospermic, with two cotyledons.

Economic Importance:

Plants belonging to this family are mainly the sources of proteins, edible oils, vegetables, timber, fiber, fodder, etc.

Indigofera tinctoria is used as a blue dye.

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