Fabaceae

Taxon level	Family
Taxon name	Fabaceae
Closely related taxa	Fabaceae, Quillajaceae, Polygalaceae, Surianaceae	Wikipedia
Taxon details	Fabaceae is the third largest family of flowering plants, behind Orchidaceae and Asteraceae, with 730 genera and over 19,400 species. Found worldwide, this family contains many agronomically important plants such as Soybean, Phaseolus (beans), Green peas, Chickpeas, Alfalfa, Peanut,Carob), and Glycyrrhiza glabra (licorice). It has been suggested, based on fossil and phylogenetic evidence, that legumes originally evolved in arid and/or semi-arid regions along the Tethys seaway during the early Tertiary (Schrire2005). However, others contend that Africa (or even the Americas) cannot yet be ruled out as the origin of the family (Pan2010).	Schrire2005,Pan2010,Wikipedia
Taxon morphology details	The leaves are stipulate, nearly always alternate, and range from pinnately or palmately compound to simple. Like the other legume families the petiole base is commonly enlarged into a pulvinus. The flowers are slightly to strongly perigynous, zygomorphic, and commonly in racemes, spikes, or heads. The perianth commonly consists of a calyx and corolla of 5 segments each. The petals are overlapping (imbricate) in bud with the posterior petal (called the banner or flag) outermost (i.e., exterior) in position. The petals are basically distinct except for variable connation of the two lowermost ones called the keel petals. The lateral petals are often called the wings. The androecium most commonly consists of 10 stamens in two groups (i.e., they are diadelphous with 9 stamens in one bundle and the 10th stamen more or less distinct). The pistil is simple, comprising a single style and stigma, and a superior ovary with one locule containing 2-many marginal ovules. The fruit is usually a legume. (Source:Hawaii Botany)	Hawaii Botany
Species belonging to this taxon	Acacia catechu (Cutch Tree, black catechu, black cutch, cashoo, catechu, wadalee gum), Acacia concinna (Soap pod), Acacia nilotica (Arabic Gum, Black Piquant, Egyptian thorn, Prickly acacia), Acacia sinuata (Piquant Sappan), Glycyrrhiza glabra (Cultivated Liquorice, Sweetwood), Macrotyloma uniflorum (Horse gram, Madras gram), Saraca indica (Ashoka)

Pan2010 (Journal) : Pan, A. D et al (2010),[{{{url}}} Detarieae sensu lato (Fabaceae) from the Late Oligocene (27.23 Ma) Guang River flora of north-western Ethiopia.], Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society:163(1):44. doi=10.1111/j.1095-8339.2010.01044.x

Schrire2005 (Book) : Schrire, B. D. et al (2005),', ISBN: 8773043044

Wikipedia (Web): Wikipedia entry, Accessdate=2010-11-14

Hawaii Botany (Web): University of Hawaii Botany Dept Flowering Plants Index (May be copyrighted), Accessdate=2010-11-14