Seed legume plant. The legume family (Fabaceae or Leguminosae). ornamental leguminous plants
,
20
colored laminated key tables, including: woody plants (trees in winter, trees in summer, shrubs in winter and shrubs in summer), herbaceous plants (flowers of forests, meadows and fields, reservoirs and swamps and primroses), as well as mushrooms, algae, lichens and mosses ,
8
colored determinants herbaceous plants (wild flowers) of central Russia (Ventana-Graf publishing house), as well as
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methodical benefits and 40
educational and methodological films on methodologies conducting research work in nature (in the field).
FAMILY BEANS - FABACEAE, or LEGUMINOSAE
Residents of countries with a temperate climate are familiar with peas, beans, clover, vetch, white locust from childhood. In the tropics, the "rain tree" or adobe is well known ( Samanea saman), and one of the most beautiful trees peace - delonix royal ( Delonix regia), which is sometimes called the "flame of the forests". Fruit carob (Ceratonia siliqua) were a favorite delicacy among the peoples who inhabited the countries of the Mediterranean, and soy ( Glycinemax) have been cultivated in China for several millennia. All these plants, at first glance so different, belong to the legume family, whose representatives are recognized in nature by compound leaves with stipules and a characteristic fruit, which botanists define as a bean. From Latin name bob ( legumen) is one of the family names. Other name ( Fabaceae) is related to the Latin genus name Faba.
Number known now childbirth legumes near
700
, a species
,
probably
,
at least
17
000
. Among flowering plants, only two families - orchid and Compositae- outnumber legumes in number of species.
Legumes common
very widely - from the Arctic to the Antarctic islands. In terms of breadth of distribution, representatives of the legume subfamily are generally second only to cereals. In most countries in tropical, warm temperate and boreal climates, legumes form a significant part of the local flora. Only in cold climates is their share relatively small.
Ability to adapt to a variety of natural conditions striking in legumes. They easily penetrate many plant communities and are often their edificators. It is believed that in the grass stands of the forest and forest-steppe zones, legumes make up 10-20% of the total mass. Many legumes have perfectly adapted to the lack of moisture in heavy and infertile clay soils or on moving sands. In humid tropics and subtropics, legumes are often included in the forest as the main species.
Speaking about the huge distribution of legumes, one should, however, indicate those communities and habitats where representatives of this family never enter. Thus, legumes are almost absent in freshwater communities.
Legumes - trees(often very large, sometimes up to 80 m high), shrubs
, bushes
,
shrubs
and herbs(the latter mainly in the legume subfamily).
Climbing forms, both herbaceous and woody, are quite common. On the roots most legumes (about 70% of species), some mimosa (10-15%), some caesalpinia have nodules. They are very various shapes and appear as growths of the parenchymal tissue of the root.
Leaves legumes are complex, with stipules, often falling early. Unpaired pinnate and ternate leaves are common in legumes. Some legumes are remarkable for their very large leaves.
Relatively rare leaves are secondarily simplified, in which the only plate is an apical unreduced leaflet. Such leaves fold in half at night. Sometimes the upper leaves or most of them are turned into antennae (as in peas and ranks). At the base of the petiole and petioles, there are often special thickenings - pads, with the help of which leaves and leaflets are set in motion under the influence of changes in turgor. The leaves and leaflets of such plants are capable of performing various nastic movements or, in the simplest cases, folding up for the night.
inflorescences in legumes, they can be both apical and axillary, more often side-flowered - with a brush or panicle, less often primate. The number of flowers in the inflorescence sometimes decreases, down to a single flower, but the size of the flower, as a rule, increases.
flowers legumes are in most cases bisexual, but unisexual flowers in a number of representatives are still known. Most often, flowers have 10 stamens, which are arranged in 2 circles. Sometimes, in the early stages of development, the primary tubercles that give rise to stamens split and the number of stamens increases many times over. The stamens of legumes, as a rule, grow together, but in a different way, and this determines a number of biological features of the flower. Most often, the accreting stamens form a tube that is not closed from above, and insects easily insert their proboscis, taking out the nectar that accumulates in it. It is usually not possible to insert a proboscis into a closed tube, and nectar either accumulates outside the tube or is not formed at all, and abundant pollen will be the main attracting agent.
The gynoecium of legumes mostly consists of one carpel, but several archaic genera are known, in the flowers of which there are from 2 to 16 free carpels, usually sitting on a special stand - gynophore.
The number of ovules in the ovary varies from 2 to 15-20, but representatives of some genera have only one ovule. The shape and size of the calyx of legumes vary quite significantly. In the vast majority, the number of petals is 5, and only some representatives from different subfamilies have fewer.
Undoubtedly, the ancestors of modern legumes had a rather large open actinomorphic corolla, which allowed the flowers to be visited by a wide variety of insects and birds. The vast majority of legumes are remarkable for their more or less zygomorphic corolla. By resemblance to a moth, he was still in the 16th century. received in the botanical literature the name of the moth, and this name is often used to refer to the subfamily of legumes. The moth corolla consists of a larger upper petal - a flag, which covers all the other petals in the kidney and somewhat opposes them in a blossoming flower; two lateral petals form wings, and the innermost, fused in the upper half or sticking together, form a boat containing stamens and ovary. At least 95% of legume species have the type of corolla described above. The remarkable stability of the moth's corolla, which is a kind of "biological lock" that protects the pollen and nectar reserves from inefficient pollinators, is associated with adaptation to pollination by bees and bumblebees.
The flag serves mainly to attract insects. On it, especially at the base, additional marks in the form of bright veins are often noticed. Attracted by a bright flag or a bright flower in general, the insect perches on the edge of the boat, or more often on one of the wings, and tends to introduce the proboscis to the base of the stamen filaments to the nectar reserves. In this case, the petals of the boat or wings are bent under the weight of the insect and its active movements, simultaneously making oscillatory movements in time with the movements of the insect's body. All the petals begin to react as a single system, since they are connected through the ears and humps that each of the four petals has. Under the influence of insect movements, the flag is folded back, the wings move down and to the sides, and the stamens and gynoecium, due to a certain elasticity, retain a horizontal position and come into contact with the abdomen of the insect. When the insect flies away, the recurved petals, again due to the mainly springy action of the ears, return to their previous position and the stamens and gynoecium take refuge in the boat.
For the vast majority of legumes, such type
pollination like entomophilia. The role of pollinators in cross-pollination is performed by a variety of insects, and the pollination mechanism is often very subtle. Self-pollination is characteristic of relatively few legumes. Peas, lentils, species of lupins and astragalus, some wikis self-pollinate. Sometimes cleistogamy occurs, that is, self-pollination inside unopened flowers. Wind pollination is also less common.
The described type of pollination mechanism is common in many legumes, the most common, but not the only one. Sometimes, for example in species lollipop (lotus), lupine
(Lupinus) the edges of the boat near the apex grow together, forming a hollow cone, in the lower part of which anthers are placed, and the upper part is usually filled with mature pollen. When the boat is bent, the stamens push out pollen like a piston, and with stronger pressure, the gynoecium also protrudes. Some vetches have a special brush on the stigma or directly below it, which, when the petals are bent, "sweeps" pollen from the boat and applies it to the body of the insect.
Feature of the mechanism of pollination of flowers of different species alfalfa (Medicago) consists in the presence of a mandatory element called "tripping" (eng, tripping - shutdown, shutdown). At a certain moment, when a bee or a bumblebee opens the petals, the gynoecium, which is rigidly connected with them (in addition to the abalone, on the wings of alfalfa flowers there is also a special tooth that rests on the petals of the boat), jumps out of the boat and hits the belly of the insect. Without hitting some more or less solid object, the subsequent penetration of pollen tubes into the stigma tissue is impossible and pollination does not occur. The phenomenon of tripping reliably protects the plant from self-pollination.
Strong and relatively heavy insects such as bees and bumblebees, as well as birds, benefit from a moth-like corolla and specialized pollination mechanisms, and various flies and small weak butterflies are usually not very effective pollinators. In this case, a biological lock appears, which opens under certain conditions and reliably stores the food reserves guaranteed for certain types of insects. Interestingly, even the length of the insect's proboscis matters. Yes, many clovers the length of the stamen tube is 9-10 cm, which corresponds to the length of the proboscis of a number of bumblebees and bees. In an ordinary bee, the proboscis is shorter, so it only bends the boat and collects accumulated pollen, but at the same time promotes cross-pollination. Often, short-proboscis insects simply steal nectar, piercing the integument of the flower from the outside. In this case, pollination, of course, does not occur. The number of insects "stealing" nectar increases in spring and autumn, when there are relatively few flowers.
Fetus legume, called a bean, develops from a single carpel. It is very diverse in morphological and anatomical features, which are purely adaptive in nature. Rarely, the fruit consists of several beans (in representatives of the family with flowers that have several carpels). When the fruits ripen, part of the seeds are aborted, which depends on a number of environmental factors (lack of pollinators, drought) and increases sharply during self-pollination. Beans of various sizes.
seeds legumes without endosperm. Spare nutrients are deposited directly in the cotyledons. Outside, the seeds are covered with a dense, shiny seed coat, which, under natural conditions, allows the seeds of some species to remain viable for decades.
In some species of legumes, the seeds germinate by bringing the cotyledons above the ground (aerial germination). Underground germination is considered more perfect, as it provides cotyledons with protection from being eaten by animals, trampling, temperature fluctuations, and so on. This type of germination is common to all vetch, some bean and other genera.
Diversity dissemination methods
among the representatives of the family is so great that we will note only a few and the most characteristic of them. There are known facts when a mature bean cracks, opening with two valves, which simultaneously twist with force and scatter seeds almost a meter from the parent plant. Cracking is associated with a special arrangement of mechanical tissue fibers in the pericarp. The seeds of many vetch and bean are scattered in a similar way. The fruits of many legumes, the distribution of which is facilitated by mammals, are characterized by various outgrowths or spines on the pericarp, which act as hooks.
The most important role in the dispersal of legumes is played by water and wind. Pterygoid outgrowths of the pericarp sometimes allow the fruits to plan for tens of meters.
The family is divided into 3 subfamilies : mimosa ( Mimosoideae), caesalpiniae ( Caesalpinoideae) and legumes proper, or legumes ( Faboideae), mainly based on differences in flower structure. Many botanists prefer to treat them as families in their own right.
Well-known outstanding the role of legumes in human life
. In terms of economic importance, they are second only to cereals. In addition to a very large group of food, among legumes there are many fodder, technical, melliferous, medicinal, decorative, giving valuable wood representatives.
The seeds of many legumes are the oldest component of the human diet of all times and almost all peoples. Legume seeds are exceptionally rich in proteins, and at the same time contain sufficient amounts of starch. Some cultivated species accumulate a lot of fatty oil in the seeds (soybeans, peanuts).
The nutritional value of legumes is invaluable. In the first place in the world in terms of occupied area, undoubtedly, are the views clover (Trifolium). 12-15 species are cultivated, many of which are already unknown in the wild. No less fodder value than clover, have species alfalfa (Medicago). Feeding value of many alfalfa is on average higher than that of clovers. Of the large number of cultivated species, we note first of all the alfalfa, or blue ( M. sativa). The world area of its crops is more than 20 million hectares. Alfalfa is pollinated exclusively by insects, and when there are not enough insects (about 500 million flowers per 1 hectare of crops), seed production drops sharply.
The technical significance of legumes is mainly due to the presence of various gums, balms, coloring and aromatic substances in a number of their representatives.
The use of legumes in medicine has a long history.
Many species of the family are also used as ornamental plants.
A story about legumes would be clearly incomplete without mentioning a number of valuable plants that are currently underused, but are an important reserve in the economy of all mankind. In recent years, it has been established that some legumes from regions with an arid climate contain large amounts of protein in the aerial parts and, after appropriate selection, they can be used as fodder plants.
AT legume family there are about 12 thousand plant species. Among legumes there are many annual and perennial herbaceous plants, there are trees and shrubs. Most of the herbaceous species of the family are concentrated in countries with a temperate and even cold climate, trees and shrubs are mainly represented in the tropics and subtropics.
Of the cultivated food leguminous plants in Russia, peas, beans, soybeans, lentils, beans, chickpeas and some others are especially common. Clover, alfalfa, broad beans and vetch provide high-calorie feed for farm animals.
Ornamental leguminous plants are also widespread: yellow acacia, sweet peas, in the south - white acacia and wisteria.
Many plants from the legume family grow in meadows (clover, sweet clover, rank), in forests (vetch), in steppes and semi-deserts (astragalus, camel thorn, licorice).
Rice. 44. Legumes. A - peas; B - red clover: 1 - flower, 2 - sail, 3 - oars, 4 - boat, 5 - bean fruit, 6 - nodules
The fruit of plants of this family is bean(.44). The flower has a peculiar five-petalled, bilaterally symmetrical corolla. Each of the petals has its own name: upper- sail, 2 side - oars, and 2 lower fused - boat: head (in clover) or (in lupine, sweet clover, etc.).
Peas
Beans. This
Soya
Vika
red clover
Lupine
Sail, 2 lateral - oars, and 2 lower fused - boat. The petals of the boat cover the pistil, surrounded by 9 fused and one free stamens. Legume flowers are collected in: a head (in clover) or (in lupine, sweet clover, etc.).
The leaves and inflorescences of legumes are not the same for different plant species. In some legumes, the leaves are trifoliate (like clover), in others (for example, soybeans, beans, peas, acacia and vetch) they are pinnate, in others they are palmate (like in lupine).
Nodules are formed on the roots of leguminous plants, in which they settle, binding the molecular nitrogen of the air and enriching the soil with nitrogen compounds.
Peas. A typical plant of the legume family is the sowing pea, one of the oldest cultivated plants (Fig. 44, A). It comes from wild-growing species of peas found in the subalpine meadows of the mountains of the Caucasus, Afghanistan, and India. Pea is an annual herbaceous plant. The leaves are compound, ending in branched tendrils that cling to props or neighboring plants and thus support a thin, weak stem. The flower and fruit have a structure characteristic of the family. There are about 10 seeds in a pea bean, which contain a large amount of proteins, which determines their high nutritional value. Due to symbiosis with nodule bacteria, peas, like other leguminous plants, are distinguished by a high content of nitrogen, and therefore proteins. Its roots, rotting, enrich the soil with nitrogen. Crops following peas and other legumes receive nitrogen fertilizers in this way.
Beans. This one brings together about 200 different types of legumes, distributed mainly in the tropics. About 20 species have been introduced into cultivation. This is a plant with trifoliate large leaves and curly stems. and the fruit of the bean is similar to the structure of the flower and fruit of the pea. Bean seeds contain a large amount of proteins. It is cultivated mainly in the southern regions.
Soya. This is a cultivated annual plant, similar to beans, but with a thick, rough, erect stem. Reaches a height of 1 m. The birthplace of soybeans is China. It is distributed in Japan, in the CIS, the USA. In the CIS, this most valuable plant is cultivated mainly in the Far East, Central Asia, the North Caucasus, Ukraine and Moldova. 100 g of soybean seeds contain up to 45 g of protein, up to 27 g of vegetable oil and up to 20 g of starch. Soy protein is highly digestible and nutritionally equal to meat. Soybean oil is used in cooking, in the production of margarine, used in soap making. Food products are prepared from soy flour: bread, sweets, cream, sauces. Soybean oil contains valuable vitamins. Soybeans are used for livestock feed.
Vika. The annual common vetch is cultivated as a valuable fodder grass for hay or green mass production. The leaves are compound, paired, ending in a tendril. Flower with white, pink or purple corolla. The fruit is a bean. Since the stem of the vetch is weak, lodging, it is grown in a mixture with oats. The stems of the oats serve as a support for the vetch: the leaf tendrils of the vetch twist around the stems of the oats and support the plant in an upright position.
red clover, or red (Fig. 44, B). It is cultivated mainly in the non-chernozem zone. Perennial herbaceous plant with trifoliate leaves and red spherical inflorescences - heads. The flowers are small. Cross-pollination is carried out by insects. The corolla tube of clover is long, so only insects with a long proboscis - bumblebees, sometimes bees - can get nectar and produce pollination. The fruit of the clover is a single-seeded bean. After sowing clover, like other legumes, the soil is enriched with nitrogen salts.
In addition to red clover, over 60 species of clovers are found in the CIS. All clovers are valuable fodder plants.
Lupine. Of great importance in agriculture is the lupine leguminous plant with palmately compound leaves. It is grown as a green manure, especially to improve sandy soils. To do this, the grown lupine is plowed into the soil. Such a green fertilizer enriches the soil with nitrogen salts and increases its fertility.
There are about 18 thousand types of legumes that are eaten by people and animals. Their root system is small tubers formed from tissue that appears when nitrogen-fixing bacteria penetrate the root.
The fruits of legumes are also extremely diverse. They can reach one and a half meters in length. Legumes - a list of the most common: soybeans, vetch, lentils, beans, sainfoin, chickpeas, peas, fodder peas, lupins, clover, common peanuts, fodder beans.
Consider what applies to legumes. These are perennial and annual plants, shrubs and trees. Trees and shrubs grow in the tropics and subtropics, while herbaceous species are mainly found in areas with a cold or temperate climate. In Russia, such edible legumes as lentils, beans, peas, beans, soybeans, chickpeas and others are well distributed. Broad beans, clover, alfalfa, vetch are used as animal feed. Ornamental plants are also widely used: sweet pea, white locust, yellow locust, wisteria. Leguminous plants can be found in forests (vetch), meadows (chin, clover, sweet clover), semi-deserts and steppes (astragalus, licorice, camel thorn).
Consider some types of legumes in more detail.
This product should first of all be included in the list of legumes, since soybeans are grown in many regions of the world. This is a popular product, it is valued for its high content of vegetable fat and protein. Therefore, soy is also a valuable component of animal feed.
Vika
Vetch is used in the diet of people, as well as animal feed. As feed it is used in the form of crushed grains, silage, hay, grass meal.
Legumes, especially beans, contain a large amount of amino acids, carbohydrates, minerals, vitamins, protein and carotene. Beans are used for the manufacture of canned food and as a separate product. This type of legume is a wonderful natural medicine that helps cure many diseases.
This legume is high in minerals, protein, essential amino acids, and folic acid. It is used as animal feed and for processing into cereals.
Used as animal feed in the form of seeds or nutritious green mass. Esparcet is highly valued as a honey crop.
The chickpea legume is one of the most widespread representatives of the chickpea family in the world. There is a fairly extensive list of food products produced on its basis. This product is used for feed and food feed purposes.
Chickpeas are used as food in boiled or fried form, and are also used to make soups, side dishes, desserts, pies, canned food and many other dishes. Because legumes are high in fiber and protein but low in fat, they are often used in vegetarian diets.
feed peas
It is used for making silage and as green fodder. Feed pea beans are an extremely valuable product for feeding various animals.
Pea beans are a natural rich source of protein, due to the large amount of vitamins, amino acids, sugar, fiber and starch. Yellow and green peas are used for twisting and eating.
Lupine
This legume is called northern soy because it contains 30-40% protein and up to 14% fat. Since ancient times, lupine has been used for bait for animals and for food. The use of this product as a green fertilizer allows you to grow an environmentally friendly product. Lupine is also used for the needs of forestry and pharmacology.
Red clover, or red
The plant is grown in non-chernozem soil. This is a perennial herb. Clover is often sown in the fields in order to saturate the soil with nitrogen salts. In addition to red clover, there are also more than 60 species that are considered valuable. fodder grasses.
fodder beans
In Europe, this crop is mainly grown as a fodder crop. Bean protein is highly digestible and highly nutritious. For feed, green mass, grain, straw and silage are used.
Peanut seeds are considered very useful, they contain a fatty oil used in various industries. Thanks to him, among legumes, peanuts are in second place in terms of nutrition. It contains 22% protein, 42% oil, 13% carbohydrates. They are most often consumed fried, and the vegetative mass is used for animal feed.
These legumes are highly nutritious and valuable. Many people think that eating legumes can lead to weight gain, but this is not true. The elements contained in these products are of plant origin, they are not harmful if they are not combined with the consumption of any other high-calorie food. Far from all the names of legumes that can be eaten are presented here, there are many more. This means that everyone can find the look they like best.
I recommend watching interesting material that tells how some peoples were able to survive using legumes in writing:
Legumes are one of the largest families of dicots. They are distributed throughout the land of the globe accessible to flowering plants and are represented by a wide variety of forms, from huge trees to lianas and tiny species growing in the desert. Representatives of legumes can live both at an altitude of 5 thousand meters, and in the Far North or in hot, waterless sands.
general characteristics
Legumes, the list of which includes about 18 thousand species, are widely used as food by animals and people.
Their root system consists of small tubers, which are formed from tissue that appears when nitrogen-fixing bacteria enter the root. They are able to fix nitrogen, thanks to which not only the plant itself, but also the soil receives nutrition.
The fruits of leguminous plants, like themselves, are very diverse. They can reach about one and a half meters in length. These plants are an important layer of flora, representing about 10% of flowering species. The most popular and common legumes are soybeans, vetch, beans, lentils, sainfoin, chickpeas, broad lupins, broad beans and common peanuts.
Soya
This product should be included in the list of legumes in the first place, since it is one of the most common and is grown in most regions of the world. Soybeans are a popular food product valued for their high plant-based protein and fat content. Thanks to this, soy is also a valuable component of animal feed.
Vika
It is one of the main legumes. Vetch is used both in the diet of people and for animal feed. As a feed, it is used in the form of hay, silage, or crushed grains.
Beans
The fruits of legumes, especially beans, contain many amino acids, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, protein and carotene. This is already a good reason for the regular consumption of this plant. Beans are used as a separate product and for the manufacture of Research on the properties of legumes have shown that this type of bean is a wonderful natural medicine that stimulates the elimination of many diseases.
Lentils
This subspecies combines all the benefits of the legume family, primarily due to the large amount of protein, minerals and vital amino acids. In addition, lentils are the champion in their class in terms of the amount of folic acid. It is used for processing into cereals and as animal feed.
Sainfoin
It is an herb of the legume family. It is used as animal feed both in the form of seeds and green mass, which is not inferior in nutritional value to alfalfa. Esparcet is highly valued as a honey crop.
chickpeas
Chickpeas are one of the most widespread legumes in the world. The list of food products that are produced on its basis is quite extensive. Since ancient times, this species has been distributed in the countries of Western and Central Asia, Africa, North America and the Mediterranean.
In particular, this product is used for food and feed purposes.
Chickpea beans are used as food in fried or boiled form, and they are also used for the preparation of canned food, soups, side dishes, pies, desserts and many national dishes. Here you can make an extensive list. Legumes, due to their high protein and fiber content, but low fat content, are often used in vegetarian and dietary diets.
feed peas
Already from the name of the culture it is clear how this subspecies is used. It is used as or for the preparation of silage. Feed pea beans are a very valuable animal feed product.
Peas
This is a grain legume known throughout Europe since time immemorial. Among vegetable crops, pea beans are the richest natural beans like meat, due to the content of a large amount of amino acids, sugar, vitamins, starch and fiber. Green and yellow peas are used for direct consumption, canning and preparation of cereals.
Lupine
This plant occupies an honorable place among fodder crops and is also included in the list of legumes. Lupine is called northern soybean, given the high protein content, which is about 30-48%, and fat with a share of up to 14%. Lupine beans have long been used as food and animal feed. The use of this product as a green fertilizer helps not to degrade the environment and grow environmentally friendly products. Lupine is also used for the needs of pharmacology and forestry.
fodder beans
This is one of the world's most farming. In Europe, it is grown mainly as a fodder crop. Grain, green mass, silage and straw are used for feed. The protein of beans is highly digestible, so they are a highly nutritious food and a valuable component in the production of animal feed.
common peanut
When compiling a list of legumes that are especially popular, one cannot fail to mention peanuts.
The seeds of this plant are considered very useful, which contain a fatty oil used in a wide variety of industries. It is thanks to him that peanuts are in second place among legumes in terms of nutrition. Its fruits contain about 42% oil, 22% protein, 13% carbohydrates. Most often they are consumed in a fried form, and the vegetative mass goes to animal feed.
Conclusion
These vegetable crops are very valuable and nutritious. Many people believe that eating legumes can lead to rapid weight gain, but this is not entirely true. Despite the fact that they are quite high in calories, all the elements contained in these products are of plant origin, so they do not carry any harm if not combined with the consumption of other high-calorie foods. Above is not the whole list of legumes suitable for human consumption, in fact there are many more. And this means that even the most sophisticated gourmet will find the look that he will like.