Bean Family

A field of cowpeas, a member of the Bean family

• • The Bean Family, Fabaceae or Leguminosae is a large and economically important family of flowering plants, which is commonly known as the legume family, pea family, bean family or pulse family.

  • Fabaceae is the third largest family of flowering plants, with 730 genera and over 19,400 species, according to the Royal Botanical Gardens.

  • The species of this family are found throughout the world, growing in many different environments and climates.

  • A number are important agricultural plants, including: Glycine max (soya bean), Phaseolus (beans), Pisum sativum (pea), Cicer arietinum (chickpeas), Medicago sativa (alfalfa), Arachis hypogaea (peanut), Ceratonia siliqua (carob), and Glycyrrhiza glabra (licorice), which are among the best known members of Fabaceae.

  • A number of species are also weedy pests in different parts of the world, including: Cytisus scoparius (broom) and Pueraria lobata (kudzu), and a number of Lupinus species.

Links to Bean Family members