| Faboideae Temporal range: | |
|---|---|
| | |
| Crotalaria retusa | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Fabales |
| Family: | Fabaceae |
| Subfamily: | Faboideae |
| Tribes [2] [3] | |
| |
| | |
| Distribution of the Faboideae | |
| Synonyms | |
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The Faboideae are a subfamily of the flowering plant family Fabaceae or Leguminosae. An acceptable alternative name for the subfamily is Papilionoideae, or Papilionaceae when this group of plants is treated as a family. [4]
This subfamily is widely distributed, and members are adapted to a wide variety of environments. Faboideae may be trees, shrubs, or herbaceous plants. Members include the pea, the sweet pea, the laburnum, and other legumes. The pea-shaped flowers are characteristic of the Faboideae subfamily and root nodulation is very common. The papilionaceous species vary enormously in size from the tiny Lupinus uncialis only 2 cm in height to Pterocarpus mildbraedii subsp. usumbarensis at up to 75 m (246 ft) height.[ citation needed ]
The type genus, Faba, is a synonym of Vicia, and is listed here as Vicia.
Modern molecular phylogenetics recommend a clade-based classification of Faboideae as a superior alternative to the traditional tribal classification of Polhill: [5] [22] [23] [24] [25]
| Faboideae |
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| (Papilionoideae) |
Note: Minor branches have been omitted.