Family Fabaceae (Legumes) in the Christopher B. Smith Preserve

Family Fabaceae Characteristics: This group of plants are commonly called peas, beans, or legumes. The family includes trees, shrubs, perennials and annuals. They all produce fruit that we recognize as legume pods. Most have pinnately-compound leaves. Fabaceae is the 3rd largest family of land plants in number of species. Many members of the family have root nodules where bacteria live, take nitrogen gas from the air, and create nitrogen compounds used by the plant. The process is called nitrogen fixation. Most Fabaceae flowers are pollinated by insects.

Interactions in the Smith Preserve: Because the plants have a symbiontic relationship with nitrogen-fixing bacteria, bacteria in its root nodules creates a nitrogen compound that adds nutrients to the soil. This promotes plant growth. Flowers provide nectar to adult insects, legumes and leaves provide food for immature insects and additional animals. The 16 species that have been identified in the Preserve are listed below. Click on the species name to learn more about each one.

Species Name	Common Name
Abrus precatorius	Rosary Pea
Aeschynomene americana	Shy-Leaf / American Jointvetch
Centrosema virginianum	Spurred Butterfly Pea
Chamaecrista fasciculata	Partridge Pea
Chamaecrista nicitans	Sensitive Pea
Crotalaria pallida var. obovata	Smooth Rattlebox
Crotalaria rotundifolia	Rabbitbells
Delonix regia	Royal Poinciana
Desmodium incanum	Ticktrefoil / Beggar Ticks
Galactia regularis	Downy Milkpea
Indigofera hirsuta	Hairy Indigo
Macroptilium lathyroides	Wild Bushbean
Mimosa strigillosa	Sunshine Mimosa / Powderpuff
Senna occidentalis	Septicweed / Coffee Senna
Vicia acutifolia	Sand Vetch / Fourleaf Vetch
Vigna luteola	Hairy Cowpea

© Photographs and text by Susan Leach Snyder (Conservancy of Southwest Florida Volunteer), unless otherwise credited above.

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