legume
Sign in to savethumb|upright=0.9|A selection of dried pulses and fresh legumes
AI overview
Legumes are plants that produce pods containing seeds, including familiar foods like beans, peas, and lentils. They're important because they're nutritious sources of protein and other nutrients for people around the world, and they also help improve soil quality when grown in gardens and farms.
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Article
18 sectionsContents
- Terminology
- Distribution
- Ecology
- Nitrogen fixation
- Pests and diseases
- Storage
- Uses
- Human consumption
- Nutritional value
- Forage
- Other uses
- History
- International Year of Pulses
- See also
- Notes
- References
- Further reading
- External links
thumb|upright=0.9|A selection of dried pulses and fresh legumes
Legumes are plants in the pea family Fabaceae (or Leguminosae), or the fruit or seeds of such plants. When used as a dry grain for human consumption, the seeds are also called pulses. Legumes are grown agriculturally, primarily for human consumption, but also as livestock forage and silage, and as soil-enhancing green manure. Legumes produce a botanically unique type of fruit – a simple dry fruit that develops from a simple carpel and usually dehisces (opens along a seam) on two sides.