Faboideae
Faboideae
Faboideae (pronounced: fa-boi-dee-ee) is a subfamily of the flowering plant family Fabaceae or legumes, including trees, shrubs, and herbaceous plants. The name is derived from the genus Faba, now included in Vicia.
Etymology
The name "Faboideae" comes from the defunct genus Faba, now included in Vicia. The term "Faboideae" is derived from the Latin word "faba" which means "bean".
Description
Members of the Faboideae are characterized by their fruit, which is a type of legume known as a pod. The flowers are typically zygomorphic, meaning they can only be divided into two equal halves along one axis. They are also characterized by their compound, stipulate leaves and their ability to fix nitrogen.
Taxonomy
Faboideae is one of the largest subfamilies in the Plantae kingdom, with over 700 genera and about 20,000 species. It is divided into three tribes: Fabeae, Phaseoleae, and Trifolieae.
Fabeae
The tribe Fabeae includes five genera and approximately 380 species. The most well-known genus is Vicia, which includes the broad bean and the vetches.
Phaseoleae
The tribe Phaseoleae includes about 1500 species, including many important crop plants such as beans, lentils, peanuts, and soybeans.
Trifolieae
The tribe Trifolieae includes about 2400 species, including the clovers, medicks, and the trefoils.
Related Terms
- Legume: A type of fruit characteristic of the Faboideae subfamily.
- Pod: The type of legume fruit produced by Faboideae plants.
- Nitrogen fixation: The process by which Faboideae plants convert atmospheric nitrogen into a usable form.
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