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Family:
Fabaceae or Leguminosae (bean and acacia family) Life
> eukaryotes >
Archaeoplastida >
Chloroplastida
>
Charophyta > Streptophytina > Plantae (land plants)
> Tracheophyta (vascular plants) > Euphyllophyta > Lignophyta (woody plants)
> Spermatophyta (seed plants) > Angiospermae (flowering
plants) > Eudicotyledons > Core Eudicots > Rosids >
Eurosid I > Fabales
A large and important family of about 730 genera and
19400 species worldwide, including economically important crop species such as Groundnut,
Chickpea, Soybean,
Lentil, Lucerne,
beans and Garden Pea. The family
also includes numerous important tree and garden plant species. A total of 140 genera and 1839 species are native to southern Africa,
25 genera and 115 species
are naturalised and a further 88 genera and 429 species are cultivated in the
region.
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Subfamily: Caesalpinioideae
About 160 genera and 1930 species (worldwide), with 27 genera
and 84 species native to southern Africa, a further three genera and 22 species
naturalised, and a further 16 genera and 69 species cultivated in the region. |
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Subfamily: Mimosoideae
Eighty-two genera and 3275 species (cosmopolitan but absent
from north temperate regions), of which 14 genera and 106 species are native to
southern Africa, an additional four genera and 28 species are naturalised, and
an additional 11 genera and 96 species are cultivated in the region. |
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Subfamily: Papilionoideae
About 476 genera and 13857 species, distributed worldwide,
with 99 genera and 1649 species native to southern Africa, 18 genera and 65 species naturalised, and a further 61 genera and 264 species cultivated in the
region. |
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For species cultivated for food, see
Legumes. |
