Note

Fabaceae Fruits

Martin F. Wojciechowski and Johanna Mahn

Species of Fabaceae demonstrate a wide variety in the type of fruits (commonly referred to as "pods") they produce. Technically, the type of fruit produced by members of Fabaceae is known as a legume, defined as a dry, more or less elongate fruit derived from a single carpel that opens or "dehisces" along one or both longitudinal sutures (Judd et al. 2002). Legumes often have a single chamber (unilocular), or they may have two chambers (bilocular, e.g., in species of Astragalus) in the mature fruit, separated by a septum. Here are a few examples of some of the common and some of the more exotic legumes produced by Fabaceae.

Click on an image to view larger version & data in a new window
Click on an image to view larger version & data in a new window

The image on the left is Pisum sativum L. (pea, image © H. Schneider), in the middle is Lablab purpureus Sweet (hyacinth bean © Linda Rae), and on the right is Hedysarum boreale Nutt. subsp. mackenzieiS.G. Aiken and A.K. Brysting), showing an example of a loment.

Click on an image to view larger version & data in a new window
Click on an image to view larger version & data in a new window

The picture on the left is Glycine max Merr. (soybean, © Thomas Schoepke), next is Crudia glaberrima Macbride (© Robin Foster), and on the right is Melilotus officinalis (L.) Lam. (yellow sweetclover, © Mary Ellen (Mel) Hart).

Click on an image to view larger version & data in a new window
Click on an image to view larger version & data in a new window

On the left is Cojoba rufescens Britton & Rose (© Robin Foster), in the middle is a picture of Dalbergia gracilis Benth. (© Robin Foster), and on the right is Medicago polymorpha L. (© University of Texas) showing an example of a legume fruit with burrs.

Click on an image to view larger version & data in a new window
Click on an image to view larger version & data in a new window

The picture on the left is Tipuana tipu (Benth.) Kuntze (© G.D. Carr), an example of a winged legume fruit, in the middle is Crotalaria nitens H.B. & K. (© Margaret Metz), and on the right is Tamarindus indica L. (tamarind fruit, © David Lee).

Click on an image to view larger version & data in a new window
Click on an image to view larger version & data in a new window

The image on the left is Ceratonia siliqua L. (carob, © Annette Hoggemeier), the image in the middle is Adenanthera pavonina L.(© Dinesh Valke), and the image on the right is Phaseolus vulgaris L. (© Robert Kiedrowski)

References

Judd, W. S., C. S. Campbell, E. A. Kellogg, P. F. Stevens, and M. J. Donoghue. 2002. Plant Systematics, A Phylogenetic Approach, 2nd edition. Sinauer Associates, Sunderland, Massachusetts, USA.

About This Page

Martin F. Wojciechowski
Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA

Johanna Mahn

Correspondence regarding this page should be directed to Martin F. Wojciechowski at and Johanna Mahn at

All Rights Reserved.

close box

This page is a note that is attached to a branch of the Tree of Life.

ToL notes provide brief accounts of characteristics, short summaries, commentaries, media files, taxonomic information, or identification tools for a given group of organisms.

For a more detailed explanation of the different ToL page types, have a look at the Structure of the Tree of Life page.

close box

Fabaceae

Page Content

articles & notes

collections

people

Explore Other Groups

random page

  go to the Tree of Life home page
top