Fabales

Order of Fabids (Eurorids I)

Food, Plant source foods, Flowering plats (angiospermae), Mesangiosperms, Eudicots, Core eudicots, Superrosids, Rosids, Fabids (Eurosids I)

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Note: For better understanding, please read the article on flowering plants (angiospermae) first. If you come across unfamiliar words, you can click on any highlighted term to open the glossary with definitions of key botanical terms.

Introduction

Fabales is an order of flowering plants belonging to the rosid clade within the eudicots. The Fabaceae family—the third-largest in the plant kingdom—accounts for the majority of the group’s biodiversity. Other families within Fabales contribute less significantly to its overall diversity.

Scientific research on Fabales is largely focused on the Fabaceae, due to their remarkable biological variety and their critical role as food crops. Among the other families, the Polygalaceae also receive attention, particularly because of the diverse genus Polygala and other edible species within the group.

Classification of Fabales

The Fabales order is divided into several families:

• Fabaceae, or legumes (chickpeas, beans, lentils, peanuts, peas, soybeans)
• Polygalaceae (Polygala myrtifolia)
• Surianaceae (Eugenia uniflora, Maranta)