The legume family, consisting of some 18,000 species, is a major division of the plant kingdom. This family is spread over the globe. Members of the family have long served human needs. They are used as food for humans and animals. Food legume species include alfalfa, soybeans, edible peas and beans etc.
Legumes also provide shade, timber, firewood and windbreaks.
They serve admirably in landscape plantings and as sources of medicinal compounds and industrial products. Many of the species have a symbiotic relationship with bacteria which grow on the plant roots and convert nitrogen from the air into a form that is usable by plants. This feature equips many legume species to fit into a pattern of sustainable agriculture. In spite of their importance, the legumes of the deserts of the world have never been systematically collected and studied. Some of the species are in danger of becoming extinct.