Legume
Legumes are members of the Fabaceae (also called Leguminosae) family of flowering plants. They are one of the largest plant families and include beans, peas, peanuts, lupins, alfalfa, clover, and many others.
The word "legume" can also refer to the type of fruit which is characteristic of most of them. A legume in this sense is a simple dry fruit which develops from a simple carpel and usually dehisces (opens along a seam) on two sides. A common name for this type of fruit is a "pod", although pod is also applied to a few other fruit types.
Legumes are noteworthy for their ability to fix atmospheric nitrogen, an accomplishment attributable to a symbiotic relationship with certain bacteria known as rhizobia found in root nodules of these plants. The ability to form this symbiosis reduces fertilizer costs for farmers and gardeners who grow legumes, and means that legumes can be used in a crop rotation to replenish soil that has been depleted of nitrogen.
Legume seed and foliage has a comparatively higher protein content than non-legume material, probably due to the additional nitrogen that legumes receive through nitrogen-fixation symbiosis. This high protein content makes them an important food both for people and for animals.
Farmed legumes fall into two classes: forage and grain.
- Forage legumes, like alfalfa, clover and vetch, are sown in pasture and grazed by livestock.
- Grain legumes are cultivated for their seeds, and are also called pulses. The seeds are used for human and animal consumption or for the production of oils for industrial uses. Grain legumes include beans, lentils, lupins, peas and peanuts.
The term is derived from the French word "légume" (which, however, has a wider meaning and refers to any kind of vegetable). The French word comes from the Latin legumen, which means "anything that can be gathered."
ReferencesISBN links support NWE through referral fees
- European association for grain legume research, Website AEP
- Mediterrasian - Article discussing health benefits of eating legumes
- University of Minnestota, 2003, "Forage Legumes"[1]
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