e-Key v3 - Ke<span id="jodit_selection_marker_1699440232521_8248555871009526" data-jodit_selection_marker="start" style="line-height: 0; display: none;"></span>y to Fab<span id="jodit_selection_marker_1699440232521_787607165360779" data-jodit_selection_marker="end" style="line-height: 0; display: none;"></span>aceae Subfamilies
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Interactive keys to the identification of seed plants of southern Africa using keys based on plant morphology.
  • In this work Fabaceae, an alternate name for Leguminosae, with Mimosoideae, Caesalpinioideae and Papilionoideae as subfamilies is used. This and subsequent keys to the subfamilies, groups and genera are based very largely on the publications of Dyer (1975), Ross (1975, 1977), Polhill (1981a) and Polhill & Raven (1981)
  • * Some exotic species of Acacia growing in our flora area have phyllodes which may appear to be simple leaves.
Backtrack a
  • Flowers regular
  • Petals valvate in bud, often united basally
  • Sepals usually united basally
  • Stamens as many as petals or twice as many or numerous, free or all united into a tube or to the base of the petals
  • Anthers uniform, dehiscing lengthwise, sometimes with a deciduous gland at the apex
  • Leaves bipinnate or, rarely, pinnate in indigenous species*
  • Seeds normally with an areole on each face or side
 Mimosoideae
b
  • Flowers nearly always irregular
  • Petals imbricate in bud, free or some of them united
  • Seeds usually without an areole
 002
Backtrack a
  • Adaxial (uppermost) petal overlapped on each side by the adjacent lateral petals (when present)
  • Sepals often free
  • Stamens 10 or fewer, free or, less often, variously united
  • Anthers uniform, rarely dimorphic, dehiscing lengthwise or by terminal pores
  • Leaves mostly pinnate or bipinnate, rarely simple or 1-foliolate
  • Seeds with radicle usually straight
 Caesalpinioideae
b
  • Adaxial (uppermost) petal outside the adjacent lateral petals or wings and usually forming with the keel-petals an irregular corolla
  • Sepals united basally
  • Stamens 10 or rarely fewer, rarely free, most often the adaxial ones free or nearly so and the other 9 united, sometimes united into 2 groups of 5 or all united
  • Anthers mostly dehiscing lengthwise
  • Leaves very rarely bipinnate (Rhynchosia)
  • Seeds with radicle usually curved
 Papilionoideae

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