Fabaceae

Fabaceae, also called Leguminosae, pea family of flowering plants (angiosperms), within the order Fabales. Fabaceae, which is the third largest family among the angiosperms after Orchidaceae (orchid family) and Asteraceae (aster family), consists of more than 700 genera and about 20,000 species of trees, shrubs, vines, and herbs and is worldwide in distribution. Some of the most important commercial species include soybeans (Glycine max), garden peas (Pisum sativum), peanuts (Arachis hypogaea), and alfalfa (Medicago sativa). Most woody species are tropical; herbaceous (i.e., nonwoody) species occur mainly in temperate regions.

Encounter some of the 20,000 legume species from vines and trees to shrubs and herbsSee all videos for this article

The leaves usually are pinnately compound (feather formed), sometimes trifoliate (with three leaflets), or palmate (the leaflets radiating from a common point). The leaves of a few species are simple or reduced to scales. The fruit is typically a legume, or pod, which splits open as it dries, releasing the seeds.