Leguminosae

=Family description=
 * Trees, (sub)shrubs, lianas, or erect or climbing herbs** deciduous or not; armed with spines or thorns or not.
 * Leaves** alternate, spirally arranged, rarely opposite; simple or compound (unifoliolate, pinnate or bipinnate), sometimes transformed into phyllodes (leaflets absent or reduced, petiole and rachis leaf-like). Stipules usually present; stipellae (within compound leave) present or absent. Leaflets opposite or alternate, sometimes reduced or absent.
 * Inflorescences** axillary and/or terminal, sometimes on the naked branches, racemes, panicles, pseudoracemes, or pseudopanicles.
 * Flowers** bisexual or unisexual, regular to bilateral symmetric. Calyx usually 5-merous, sometimes 3--6-merous; sepals free or united. Corolla usually 5-merous, sometimes reduced or absent; petals often unequal. Stamens usually 10, sometimes more (up to 80) or less, rarely absent in female flowers; free or united, either all in a tube (monodelphous) or 9 united and 10th free (diadelphous), rarely in 2 bundles of 5; anthers equal or unequal, all fertile or partly (alternately) fertile and sterile. Disc absent or present, intrastaminal. Ovary superior, 1-celled, usually 1, sometimes several, free; style short to long, often curved inwards; stigma usually terminal.
 * Fruit** a pod (legume), indehiscent or dehiscent along both or only 1 suture, or breaking into 1-seeded segments (loments), usually dry, rarely berry- or drupe-like. Seeds 1 to many, sometimes arillate; endosperm present or absent; cotyledons fleshy or foliaceous, straight or curved.

=General info=
 * Distribution** About 750 genera with 20.000 species, all over the world with a high representation in the tropics. In Malesia about 160 genera and about 950 species.
 * Ecology** All habitats, with some very large forest trees. In general the family is rather rare in the Asian everwet forests, but more common in the seasonal forests.
 * Uses** Timber, food, medicine, ornamentals.
 * Similar to** Connaraceae, but these never have stipules, and always have free sepals.

Treated genera

 * Adenanthera
 * Albizia
 * Archidendron
 * Bauhinia
 * Caesalpinia
 * Cassia
 * Cynometra
 * Dialium
 * Erythrina
 * Parkia
 * Pterocarpus
 * Saraca

Leguminosae.pdf

Adenanthera kostermansii

Albizia chinensis

Archidendron havilandii

Bauhinia variegata

Caesalpinia latisiliqua

Cassia/Senna Cynometra ramiflora

Dialium kunstleri

Erythrina sp

Parkia speciosa

Pterocarpus santalinus

Saraca sp. Trees, (sub)shrubs, lianas, or erect or climbing herbs; monoecious, rarely dioecious; deciduous or not; armed with spines or thorns or not. Leaves spirally arranged, rarely opposite or verticillate; simple or unifoliolate, pinnate or bipinnate, sometimes transformed into phyllodes (leaflets absent or reduced, petiole and rachis leaf-like). Stipules usually present; stipellae present or absent. Leaflets opposite or alternate, sometimes reduced or absent. Inflorescences axillary and/or terminal, sometimes ramiflorous, racemes, panicles, pseudoracemes, or pseudopanicles. Bracts present; bracteoles usually present. Flowers bisexual or unisexual, rarely neuter; ± actinomorphic or zygomorphic. Hypanthium present or absent. Calyx usually 5-merous, sometimes 3--6-merous; sepals free or united. Corolla usually 5-merous, sometimes reduced or absent; petals often unequal. Stamens usually 10, sometimes more (upto 80) or less, rarely absent in female flowers; free or united, either all in a tube (monodelphous) or 9 united and 10th free (diadelphous), rarely in 2 bundles of 5; anthers equal or unequal, all fertile or partly (alternately) fertile and sterile. Disc absent or present, intrastaminal. Ovary superior, sessile or stipitate, 1-celled, usually 1, sometimes several, free; ovules anatropous, 1 to many in 2 alternating rows along the upper suture (parietal); style short to long, often curved inwards; stigma usually terminal. Fruit a pod (legume), indehiscent or dehiscent along both or only 1 suture, or breaking into 1-seeded segments (loments), usually dry, rarely berry- or drupe-like. Seeds 1 to many, sometimes arillate; endosperm present or absent; cotyledons fleshy or foliaceous, straight or curved.