Leguminosae
Alternative names: Fabaceae
Description:
Trees, shrubs or herbs, often trailing or twining, unarmed, rarely spiny; phyllotaxy spiral to distichous; leaves pinnate, digitate, simple or reduced to scales or replaced by phyllodes; stipules usually present at the base of the petiole, stipels occasional on petiolules.
Flowers solitary, racemose or paniculate, rarely umbellate, usually bisexual, regular or zygomorphic, 5-merous, hypogynous; bracts commonly supporting the flower, often caducous; calyx usually with 5 lobes, sepals or teeth, rarely 4 or 3 when joined, basally variously united into a tube; petals usually 5, free or somewhat connate, equal or distinct; stamens usually 10 sometimes less than 10 or numerous, free or variously connate, inserted with the petals at the rim of the receptacle; anthers 2-locular, usually opening by longitudinal slits, uniform or dimorphic; ovary almost always a single superior 2- to many-ovulate carpel, rarely 1-ovulate; ovules attached to the adaxial suture.
Fruit nearly always a dry legume or pod, usually dehiscent into 2 valves, often dehiscent only along the upper suture or indehiscent, occasionally lomentaceous; seed usually with endosperm, often arillate and/or carunculate.
Distribution:
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650 genera and 18,000 species, extends in all terrestrial habitats from the equator to the edges of dry and cold deserts of the world.
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Biology:
No text
Uses:
The versatility of the legumes enhances their great economic importance as a food or forage. They fix nitrogen, conserve soils and provide timber, fuel and important legume crops.
Taxonomic notes:
"The recognition of 1 family or 3 families within the Leguminales may still be regarded as a matter of opinion, but in general the evidence seems to support the concept of a single family, as few genera are transitional between the 3 major groups" as indicated in Polhill & Raven (1981), Advances in legume systematics pt 1. Their concept is accepted here and their systematic treatment followed.
Key to Genera:
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1. Flowers regular (actinomorphic); stamens usually numerous; petals valvate, equal; embryo straight |
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Subfamily 2. MIMOSOIDEAE |
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1. Flowers irregular (zygomorphic); stamens l0 or fewer; petals imbricate; embryo straight or curved |
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2. Flowers slightly irregular; stamens 10 or fewer, free; petals subequal, free; adaxial petal overlapped by adjacent lateral petals, abaxial petals overlapping; embryo straight |
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Subfamily 1. CAESALPINIOIDEAE |
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2. Flowers very irregular; stamens 10, often united; petals unequal, more or less united; adaxial petal (standard) outside the adjacent lateral petals (wings), abaxial petals (keel) valvate, conduplicate, often connate; embryo curved |
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Subfamily 3. PAPILIONOIDEAE |
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SUBFAMILY 1.--CAESALPINIOIDEAE |
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PARKINSONIA 1. |
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1. Leaves pinnate, lobed or reduced to phyllodes |
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2. Leaflets 2, 1-2 cm broad |
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LYSIPHYLLUM 4. |
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2. Leaflets 0 or 4 or more, if 2 then less than 1 cm broad |
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3. Style small, terete; stamens 10, rarely 7 or 6; anthers usually unequal |
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CASSIA 2. |
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3. Style large, petal-like; stamens 5, 2 of them barren |
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PETALOSTYLIS 3. |
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SUBFAMILY 2.--MIMOSOIDEAE |
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2. Trees or shrubs; stamens 10 or more |
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ACACIA 7. |
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PROSOPIS 6. |
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2. Perennial herb; stamens 5 |
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NEPTUNIA 5. |
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1. Stamen filaments united basally into a tube |
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ALBIZIA 8. |
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SUBFAMILY 3.--PAPILIONOIDEAE |
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1. All 10 stamens free, filaments rarely slightly connected at the base |
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GROUP 2. PAPILIONOIDEAE. |
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1. Stamens variously united by their filaments (10, 9 +l, 5 +5) in a sheath or tube around the ovary |
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2. Staminal tube monadelphous, filaments completely or at least in the lower part completely closed round the ovary (10); anthers alternately longer and basifixed and shorter and dorsifixed (versatile); or the staminal tube split open adaxially facing the standard |
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GROUP 3. PAPILIONOIDEAE. |
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2. Staminal tube diadelphous; upper adaxial stamen facing the standard, free, the other 9 united by their filaments in a tube around the ovary (9 + 1), or the tube split open on the upper and lower side of the ovary being in 2 series of 5 stamens each (5 + 5) |
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GROUP 1. PAPILIONOIDEAE. |
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1. Leaves and leaflets not toothed, principal lateral veins of the leaves or leaflets anastomosing and not reaching the margin, sometimes obscure; leaves sometimes caducous or reduced to a spine-tipped phyllode |
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2. Filaments forming 2 series of 5 stamens each (5 + 5), split open on the standard and keel side; pod constricted between the seeds, lomentaceous |
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AESCHYNOMENE 22. |
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2. The upper adaxial stamen facing the standard free, 9 stamens united by their filaments into a sheath around the ovary (9 +1); pod dehiscent or indehiscent but not lomentaceous |
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3. Pod moniliform but not lomentaceous; spiny shrubs |
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4. Leaves simple; keel fully developed, housing the stamens; pod 3- or 4-seeded |
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ALHAGI 23. |
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4. Leaves 3-foliolate; keel minute, shorter than the stamens; pod 1- or 2-seeded |
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ERYTHRINA 14. |
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3. Pod 2-valved, dehiscent or indehiscent, dorsiventral constriction between the seeds minute or absent |
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5. Anther connective appendiculate; standard hairy |
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INDIGOFERA 12. |
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5. Anther connective not appendiculate; standard usually glabrous |
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6. Leaf lamina glandular-punctate or glandular-hairy |
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7. Leaves glandular-hairy |
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VIGNA 20. |
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7. Leaves glandular-punctate |
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9. Ovary 1-ovulate; pod indehiscent; shrubs, subshrubs or herbs |
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PSORALEA 21. |
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9. Ovary 2-ovulate; pod dehiscent; trailing or twining herbs |
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RHYNCHOSIA 19. |
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10. Leaflets linear; pod included in the calyx, with rough texture |
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PSORALEA 21. |
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10. Leaflets ovate-lanceolate; pod exserted, with hooked prickles |
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GLYCYRRHIZA 26. |
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6. Leaf lamina not glandular |
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11. Leaves simple, imparipinnate, or absent |
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13. Calyx-teeth 4 (the upper 2 united, all lanceolate and longer than the tube); peduncle below the flower-cluster thickened and nodose |
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GALACTIA 15. |
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13. Calyx-teeth 5 (subequal or various); peduncle not nodose |
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HARDENBERGIA 17. |
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15. Calyx glabrous except for the ciliate margins |
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DIPOGON 13. |
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16. Style bearded along the inner margin; style-tip with hair-tufts behind the stigma |
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SWAINSONA 28. |
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16. Style and stigma glabrous |
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17. Flowers 6-9 mm long; pod with pithy partitions between the seeds; seed with a scale-like papery appendage |
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GLYCINE 16. |
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17. Flowers 10-25 mm long; pod septate; seed with a fleshy appendage |
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KENNEDIA 18. |
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18. Leaflets 5, lower pair of leaflets stipule-like, remote from the 3 proximate upper ones; of 5 alternate stamens the filaments dilated at the summit |
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LOTUS 29. |
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18. Leaflets usually more than 5 (rarely 3), if 5 the lower pair not resembling stipules |
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19. Stipules becoming 2 stout spines |
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ROBINIA 10. |
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19. Stipules leafy or leathery but never spines |
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20. Style bearded along the inner margin; pod usually inflated, bladdery |
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21. Flowers less than 2 cm long; petals subequal, obtuse |
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SWAINSONA 28. |
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21. Flowers more than 2 cm long, red; wings 2-4 times shorter than the keel; petals subacute |
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22. Flowers more than 4 cm long; wings about half as long as the ovate standard; prostrate annual herbs |
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CLIANTHUS 25. |
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22. Flowers c. 3 cm long, wings hyaline, c. 4 times shorter than the keel or narrow standard; hairy shrub with silvery pods |
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SUTHERLANDIA 27. |
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23. Standard narrow, glabrous; hairs medifixed; seed triangular or reniform, rugulose, pitted |
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ASTRAGALUS 24. |
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23. Standard orbicular, pubescent; hairs basifixed; seed subglobose, smooth |
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TEPHROSIA 9. |
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11. Leaves paripinnate, rhachis ending in a fine point or tendrils |
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24. Leaf rhachis ending in a fine point; pod linear, 10-20 cm long, more than 20-seeded |
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SESBANIA 11. |
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24. Leaf rhachis ending in tendrils; pod 2-10 cm long, less than 10-seeded |
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25. Leaflets 2; stipules large, leafy, semisagittate |
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LATHYRUS 30. |
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25. Leaflets 4 or more; stipules small, triangular- lanceolate |
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VICIA 31. |
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1. Leaves trifoliolate, toothed; principal lateral veins of the leaflets terminating in the margin; upper stamen free, lower 9 united (9 + 1); chiefly introduced herbs |
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26. Calyx throat with 2-lipped callosities or a ring of hairs; pod inserted in the calyx; all or 5 filaments of the stamens dilated at the apex; flowers usually more than 10 in dense globular or cylindrical heads |
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TRIFOLIUM 34. |
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26. Calyx throat open; pod exceeding the calyx; filaments not dilated at the apex |
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27. Pod spirally curved or coiled, rarely short and falcate and then the plants not strong-smelling; cotyledons articulated; flowers in clusters of 1-5 in ovoid heads or racemes on the slender peduncle |
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MEDICAGO 32. |
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27. Pod straight or falcate; plants usually strong-smelling; cotyledons not articulated |
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28. Pod subglobose or ovoid, straight, indehiscent; flowers numerous (to 50), drooping in slender and elongate racemes |
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MELILOTUS 33. |
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28. Pod linear, curved, dehiscent; flowers 1-8, in erect or sub-sessile axillary cluster |
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TRIGONELLA 35. |
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2. Leaves opposite, decussate |
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3. Stipules absent; leaves linear-lanceolate, glabrous |
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EUTAXIA 39. |
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3. Stipules present; leaves oblong-ovate, pubescent below |
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GASTROLOBIUM 40. |
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4. Leaves less than 1 cm long |
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PULTENAEA 45. |
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2. Leaves alternate or whorled |
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PULTENAEA 45. |
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Leguminosae |
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7. Leaves with recurved or revolute margins |
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PHYLLOTA 44. |
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AOTUS 36. |
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7. Leaves grooved above by the involute margins or replaced by leaf-like flat phyllodes |
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9. Leaves grooved above by the involute margins |
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DILLWYNIA 38. |
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9. Leaves replaced by leaf-like phyllodes, flattened horizontally |
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DAVIESIA 37. |
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10. Leaves trifoliolate; calyx glabrous outside, dark-coloured |
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GOMPHOLOBIUM 41. |
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10. Leaves simple; calyx pubescent |
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ISOTROPIS 42. |
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1. Flowering stem leafless (leaves reduced to scales or spines or to long filiform petioles) |
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11. Flowers more than 3 cm long, in short basal racemes; standard narrow or narrow-ovate |
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LEPTOSEMA 43. |
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11. Flowers less than 1 cm long, axillary, solitary or in axillary racemes; standard broad (suborbicular) |
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12. Calyx-teeth subequal, short; flowers solitary, axillary or in short axillary racemes |
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13. Flowers solitary, axillary; pod sessile, obovoid, black |
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VIMINARIA 47. |
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13. Flowers in short axillary racemes; pod triangular, compressed, stipitate |
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DAVIESIA 37. |
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12. Upper 2 calyx-teeth broad, falcate, united higher up to form an upper lip; flowers few to several, in clusters or whorls along the stem |
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14. Branches less than 1 mm thick; flowers 1-4 |
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SPHAEROLOBIUM 46. |
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14. Branches more than 1 mm thick; flowers several, in axillary racemes |
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DAVIESIA 37. |
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1. Staminal tube completely closed round the ovary (anthers versatile) |
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2. Leaves 3-foliolate or digirately compound of more than 3 leaflets (palmate) |
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3. Branches and leaves spiny; flowers yellow |
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ULEX 61. |
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3. Branches and leaves not spiny |
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4. Leaves palmate, 7-11-foliolate |
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LUPINUS 58. |
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5. Upper calyx-lip shortly 2-toothed, with a shallow notch between the obtuse inconspicuous teeth |
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CYTISUS 56. |
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5. Upper calyx-lip long and deeply 2-toothed, teeth triangular, deeply divided |
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GENISTA 57. |
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2. Leaves simple or absent at maturity |
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6. Flowers 8-10 mm long, white; calyx 2-lipped, caducous |
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RETAMA 59. |
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6. Flowers 20-30 mm long, yellow; calyx I-lipped, persistent |
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SPARTIUM 60. |
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1. Staminal tube split open on the side facing the standard |
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7. Anthers uniform; pod flattened |
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8. Leaves of 3-11 leaflets |
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9. Leaves digitately 3-foliolate; stipules ovate; stem prostrate |
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MUELLERANTHUS 51. |
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9. Leaflets 5-11; stipules narrow-triangular; stem erect |
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PTYCHOSEMA 53. |
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8. Leaves simple, 1-foliolate or absent |
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10. Leaves alternate or absent, rarely some opposite; flowers pedicellate; petals glabrescent; pod not winged, dehiscent by both sutures |
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BOSSIAEA 48. |
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10. Leaves opposite, lamina with 3 or more pungent points flowers sessile; petals velutinous; pod winged dorsally, dehiscent by the lower suture only |
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PLATYLOBIUM 52. |
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7. Anthers dimorphic; pod flattened or not |
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11. Keel acute or beaked; pod inflated; seed not arillate |
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CROTALARIA 55. |
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11. Keel obtuse; pod flattened (except in Hovea); seed arillate |
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12. Leaves petiolate, with 3 leaflets; flowers yellow; pod long-stipitate |
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GOODIA 49. |
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12. Leaves simple, subsessile or absent |
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13. Leaves lanceolate, hoary beneath; flowers blue; pod turgid, scarcely longer than broad |
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HOVEA 50. |
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13. Leaves obovate or linear or reduced to scales; flowers yellow, red or purplish; pod flattened, longer than broad |
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TEMPLETONIA 54. |
Author:
Not yet available
Source:
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