Notes of Interest:
LEGUMINOSAE
Pea Family, Bean Family, Pulse Family.
One of the largest of the plant families, the Leguminosae, with 600 genera
and approximately 13,000 species, is cosmopolitan. The species show an extraordinary
diversity of habits: herbs, shrubs, trees, lianas, aquatics, epiphytes and
xerophytes. Some-especially those inhabiting xerophytic regions-are armed
with thorns. Many have roots with nitrogen-fixing bacterial nodules which
serve to enrich the soil with nitrates. The rotation of leguminous crops with
non-leguminous plants was practiced by the ancient Romans.
The Leguminosae is of inestimable value to mankind, second in economic importance
only to the Gramineae or grasses. Undoubtedly, its greatest significance lies
in its food value because of its high content of protein, and often starch
and oil as well (peas, various beans, lentils), making leguminous species
usually an essential element of the human diet. Some leguminous plant is part
of the diet of every race of man. Numerous species are also excellent animal
feed (alfalfa, lupines, lespedeza, clover), and the flowers of many are sources
of honey. The legumes supply gums (tragacanth, arabica); resins, dyes (indigo,
logwood, brazilwood); timbers (rosewood, locust, acacia); medicines (senna,
licorice, tamarind); poisons (locoweeds), fish poisons (Tephrosia, Lonchocarpus,
Derris); narcotics (yopo, mescal bean, jurema); essential oils (Acacia, black
locust); vegetable oils (soy bean, peanut). Some 150 species of legumes are
grown as ornamentals.
This large family is the source of many biodynamic constituents. It is one
of the richest families in alkaloids. Several reviews have appeared: alkaloids
(Salatino, 1981), phenolic compounds (Salunkhe, 1982), flavonoids (Torck,
1976), phytoalexins (Ingham, 1982). The antibiotic and toxic effects of mimosine
(Mendoza, 1982), toxic factors in tropical species (Di Mello, 1982) and a
book on the chemistry and biochemistry of the family (ArAora, 1983) have been
published.
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