Legumes are members of a plant family known as Fabaceae, and they are some of the most abundant plants on Earth. Though most people think legumes are limited to edible beans, in fact, there are over 30,000 different legume species in the world. This diverse plant family includes trees (acacias, locusts, and redbuds), herbs (liquorice and fenugreek), ornamentals (wisteria and mimosa), groundcover plants (clovers and treefoils), and edible fruits (jicama and tamarind). Almost all of these plants are supported by symbiotic rhizobia.
We love legumes in the Belin lab! Here are our photos of legumes in the wild.
Lakeside legumes of Burlington, VT
False indigo (Amorpha fruticosa)
Bird's foot trefoil
(Lotus corniculatus)
Bird vetch
(Vicia cracca)
Sweet clover
(Melilotus sp.)
Snap peas on the volcanic island Nea Kameni (Greece)
(Sub-)Tropical Ornamental Caesalpinoideae (Dominican Republic)
Peacock flower trees (Caesalpinia pulcherrima)
Yellow flametrees (Peltophorum pterocarpum)
Belin Lab Backyard Clover & Vetch (Baltimore)
Rawlings Conservatory Acacia (Baltimore)
United States Botanic Garden Soybean Exhibit (D.C.)
Beans for sale & carob trees (Jerusalem)
Prekese/Aidan fruit (Tetrapleura tetraptera) at the Royal Botanic Garden (Edinburgh)
Legume diversity garden at the Kew Botanic Gardens (outside London)
Lathyrus sylvestris
