LEGUMINOSAE 



Characteristics of the Pea Family 



This important family contains about 500 genera and over 

 15,000 species among which are many of our important food 

 plants. The family is characterized by its distinctive fruit known 

 as a legume; as well as by alternate, usually compound leaves; 

 and regular or distinctive papilionaceous flowers. 



The genera growing in North America and reaching tree 

 size are keyed out on the opposite page and species which are 

 important, common, or distinctive are described on succeeding 

 pages. The several unimportant forms which occasionally reach 

 tree size in the southern fringe of the United States are briefly 

 described below: 



Smokethorn, Dalea spinosa A. Gray, is a desert shrub with 

 minute or no leaves, green, spiny twigs, and a small 1 -seeded 

 legume. 



Southwestern coralbean, Erythrina flabelliformis Kearney, in 

 southern Arizona and New Mexico is characterized by 3 

 foliolate leaves and showy red flowers. The eastern coralbean, 

 E. herbacea L., from North Carolina to Texas is usually a perennial 

 herb but becomes a tree in Florida. The South American E. 

 crista-galli L. is cultivated and escaped in the Gulf states. 



Kidneywood, Eysenhardtia polystachya (Ortega) Sarg., is a 

 shrubby southwestern form characterized by small leaflets and 

 a legume only Vi inch long. E. angustifolia Pen. is a small tree 

 in Texas. 



Littleleaf leadtree, Leucaena retusa Benth., of southern Texas 

 and New Mexico diff'ers from Lysiloma in having a linear legume 

 6-10 inches long on a peduncle 3-5 inches long. Three similar 

 species, L. glauca Benth., L, greggii S. Wats., and L. pulverulenta 

 Benth., form small trees in southern Texas and Mexico. 



Lysiloma, Lysiloma microphylla Beth., is a shrub or small tree 

 in Arizona characterized by bi-pinnately compound, persistent 

 leaves and a linear-oblong, compressed legume 5-8 inches long. 

 L. bahamensis Beth, is found in southern Florida. 



Tesota, Olneya tesota A. Gray, a beautiful spiny small tree of 

 the Arizona-California desert, with purple flowers and a com- 

 pressed, glandular-hairy legume 2-2 Vi inches long. 



Paradise poinciana, Poinciana gilliesii Hook., is an ill-scented 

 shrub or small tree native to South America but naturalized in 

 southern Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona. It is characterized 

 by large, showy, flowers with long-exserted red stamens and pistil. 

 P. mexicana (Gray) Rose, is found is southern Texas and Mexico. 



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