《Flora of China Illustrations(10)》series encompasses onelarge plant family, namely, the Fabaceae or Leguminosae,with 1,673 species in China, of which 690 are endemic.The fruits come in the form of legumes, from the Latin word for pod. The green bean (Phaseolus vulgaris),chickpea ( Cicer arietinum), and soybean (Glycine max)have legumes containing seeds, also called pulses, that are of great agricultural and economic value. Beans are a staple of traditional Chinese cuisine. Clover (Trifolium repens) and lucerne (Medicago sativa) are used around the world for feeding livestock; when ploughed into the soil they act as fertilizers because of the atmospheric nitrogen fixed by the nodules in their roots. Among the ornamentals from this family native to China, the golden shower tree (Cassia fistula) is from a genus that has long been known there.

Preface

Acknowledgments

Fabaceae 豆科dou ke

Index to Chinese Names

Index to Pinyin Names

Index to Scientific Names

Index to Families in the Flora of China and the Flora Reipublicae Popularis Sinicae

Published Volumes of the Flora of China and the Flora of China Illustrations