Peas, soy, sweet peas, lentils, peanuts, soy ... The names of these plants are known to everyone. In our article, we will consider the structural features of the autonomic organs and the legume flower formula.
General characteristics of the family
Legumes or moth plants belong to the class dicotyledonous. Systematics count them in nature for more than 20 thousand species. Most of them are valuable food and feed crops. Of particular importance is the ability of some species to fix atmospheric nitrogen. Legumes are represented by all life forms: herbs, shrubs and trees. As a rule, the leaves are complex with the next arrangement on the stem. The bean flower is a systematic symptom.
Legend
In botany, there is such a thing as a flower formula. It is a symbol for parts of this generative organ. The numbers in this series indicate the quantitative indicators of the elements of the generative organ.
They are deciphered as follows:
- H - a cup. It is a collection of sepals surrounding the receptacle.
- In - a whisk. These are all flower petals.
- Oh - perianth. It consists of a cup and a nimbus.
- T is the number of stamens.
- P is the number of pistils.
Legume Flower Formula
Now we will decode this combination of characters with a specific example. The flower formula of moths or legumes is as follows: Ch5 L1 + 2 + (2) T (9 + 1) P1. This structure visually resembles a boat or a butterfly. This determines the name moth.
So, perianth representatives of this family consists of five sepals and petals. The structure of the latter is differentiated. The uppermost petal is large compared to the rest. It is called a sail. On both sides there are side petals - “oars”. The remaining pair fuses along the lower edge. So the "boat" is formed. Beans have one pestle. There can be ten stamens in one case, in another - nine of them grow together, and one remains free. Petals are sometimes called a butterfly with wings.
Flower type
The bean flower formula also carries additional information. Such structures are bisexual. This means that the flowers have a pistil and stamens. They can be single - large with bright and wide petals.
Another characteristic feature is symmetry. According to this characteristic, legume flowers are irregular or zygomorphic. This means that through them you can draw a single vertical plane.
In a number of cases, representatives of this family form inflorescences. Sometimes the legume family, whose flower formula was given above, forms inflorescences. It can be a brush, head or whisk.
Pollination and seed formation
The bean flower formula indicates some of its differences in different species of the family. These features determine the method of pollination. For example, in clover, each petal is twisted into a long tube. Therefore, only bumblebees with a special proboscis can pollinate it. Legumes also attract bees and butterflies. Pea, lupine, astragalus, wiki have self-pollination.
A feature of legume seeds is the lack of endosperm - a reserve nutrient. These are dicotyledonous plants. Therefore, their embryo consists of two cotyledons, an embryonic stalk, root and bud, which contains the primordia of the first leaves. Outside is a protective peel. The cotyledons are turned to each other with flat sides. They are connected in one of the parts. In this place, the embryonic organs are located.
The stock of substances is concluded directly in the cotyledons. Scientists have proven that lupine can be grown even from seeds that have lain in permafrost for a long time. And beans are characterized by underground germination. In a biological sense, this is very beneficial because it provides protection against animals, temperature extremes.
Fruits and seeds
The fruit of this family is called bean. It develops from carpel. Bob is a dry multi-seed. After ripening, it opens at the seam between the two wings. There are seeds on them. Unlike the pod, there is no vertical partition inside the bean.
Bean seeds have long been eaten. Peas and beans contain a large amount of protein, and soy and peanuts contain vegetable oils. Clover and alfalfa are indispensable feed crops, as they are of great nutritional value. These plants are also of great importance as honey plants. White and yellow acacia, robinia, caragana, as well as mimosa are famous decorative species.
Value
Bean sprouts are a valuable green manure. They are plowed up and left on the surface of the soil, which contributes to its enrichment with organic matter and improves the structure. In the pharmaceutical industry, licorice, melilot, acacia are used as raw materials. Among wood, the most valuable is sandalwood.
Only on the roots of legumes do nodule bacteria settle. This is a special kind that is able to absorb atmospheric nitrogen. What are the benefits of such organisms? Nitrogen is a necessary element for the formation of the stem and leaves. And in the air this substance is enough - up to 78%. But plants cannot absorb atmospheric nitrogen. Nodule bacteria translate it into a form that dissolves in water and can be absorbed from the soil by the roots. The existence of these organisms is mutually beneficial: bacteria provide plants with nitrogen, and in return receive mineral nutrients.
So, the bean flower formula has the form Ch5 L1 + 2 + (2) T (9 + 1) P1. This structure consists of five carpels and the same number of petals. The latter differ in size and shape. As a result, the bean flower has an irregular shape and is zygomorphic. This means that only one axis of symmetry can be drawn through it. This type of symmetry is called zygomorphic. Visually, the flower of leguminous plants resembles a boat with oars and a sail or a butterfly. This determines the second name of this family - moths. All legume flowers are bisexual. They have one pestle. And the number of stamens is ten. In some of them, nine of them grow together, and one remains free.