In this article we will discuss about:- 1. Characters of Papilionaceae 2. Floral Formula of Papilionaceae 3. Common Plants 4. Economic Importance.
Characters of Papilionaceae:
Leaves—usually imparipinnate. Flowers—solitary or in racemes, very irregular (papilionaeous), posterior petal biggest and outermost. Petals—5, vexillary in aestivation. Stamens—10, usually diadelphous (9) + 1, sometimes monadelphous (e.g., Arachis, Crotalaria, etc.) rarely 9 (e.g., Abrus). Embryo—curved.
Floral Formula of Papilionaceae:
Common Plants of Papilionaceae:
(1) Pulses:
Pea (Pisum sativum L.). Gram (Cicer arietinum L.), Lentil (Lens esculentus Moench. = L. culinaris Medic.), Pigeon pea (Cajanus indicus Spreng. = C. cajan Mill.), Chick pea (Lathyrus sativus L.), Green gram (Phaseolus aurieus L.), Black gram (Phaseolus mungo L.).
(2) Vegetables:
Windsor bean or Broad bean (Vicia faba L.), Lablab or Black bean (Dolichos lablab L.), Cow-pea (Vigna catjang Endl.).
(3) Butterfly Pea (Clitoria ternatea L.), a common perennial twiner of gardens.
(4) Coral tree (Erythrina indica Lamk. = E. variegata L.), a common tree planted along hedges.
(5) Sesbania grandiflora Pers.
(6) The flame of the forest (Butea frondosa Roxb. = B. monosperma Taub.), commonly planted for its beautiful flowers.
(7) Groundnut or Pea-nut (Arachis hypogaea L.), commonly cultivated for its edible seeds.
(8) Dalbergia sisso Roxb., a timber tree.
(9) Indian cork plant (Aeschynomene aspera L.), yields the ‘shola’ of commerce.
(10) Indigo (Indigofera tinctoria L.), a dye-yielding plant.
(11) Crab’s eye or Indian liquorice (Abrus precatorius L.), a perennial twiner, the red and black seeds of which are used as small weights by the jewellers.
(12) Red sandal wood (Pterocarpus santalinus L.), and Gum kino tree (P. marsupium Roxb.), are timber trees.
(13) Mucuna prurita Hook., a semiwoody climber whose pods are provided with stinging hairs.
(14) Telegraph plant (Desmodium gyrans DC. = D. motorium Merr.), a common weed of waste place, well-known for its variation movements.
(15) Sunn-hemp (Crotalaria juncea L.), a fibre-yielding plant; C. retusa L., a common garden plant.
(16) Yam bean (Pachyrhizus angulatus Rich.), a climber with woody stems and large tuberous roots.
(17) Sword bean (Canavalia ensiformis DC. = C. gladiata DC.), a large climber.
(18) Hoary pea or Wild indigo (Tephrosia purpurea Pers.), commonly found in waste places and roadsides.
(19) Pongamia glabra Vent. = P. pinnata Pierre., an avenue tree.
(20) Melilotus alba Lamk. and M. indica. All are common field weeds in the cold season.
(21) Trigonella foenum-graecum L., an annual crop.
(22) Smithia sensitiva Ait., commonly found in waste places.
(23) Uraria picta Desv., found in grassy glades and fields.
(24) Spatholobus roxburghii Benth., a heavy woody climber.
(25) Medicago lupulina L., a diffuse trailing herb; Alfalfa (M. sativa L.), a medicinal plant.
(26) Psophocarpus tetragonolobus DC., a slender annual climber.
(27) Teramnus labialis Spreng., a common slender twining plant.
(28) Pueraria tuberosa DC., a shrubby climber with a large tuberous root.
(29) Zornia diphylla Pers., an annual herb.
(30) Sophora Clarke, a shrub.
(31) Ormosia robusta Wight., a tree.
(32) Dalhausica bracteata, a scandent shrub.
(33) Psoralea corylifolia L., a common herb, annual, 1-3 ft. high.
(34) Glycyrrhiza glabra L., a tall perennial plant.
(35) Ougenia dalbargioides Benth., a tree with a short-crooked trunk.
Economic Importance of Papilionaceae:
The plants of this subfamily have distinctly diverse properties (both purgative and poisonous). The pulses are the most important plants. Pods of Cicer, Dolichos and Vigna are used as table vegetables. Dalbergia and Pterocarpus are important timber-producing trees. Crotalaria yields hemp-like strong fibres.
Indigofera was formerly extensively cultivated for producing dye. Butea is chiefly used as a lac-rearing tree. Seeds of Trigonella, Melilotus, Medicago and Psoralea and root of Glycyrrhiza have medicinal importance. Aeschynomene aspera yields ‘shola’ of commerce which is extensively used for making hats. The seeds of Abrus are used as jewellers’ weights.
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