Legumes belong to the Pea family, which fabricate the second largest family in the flower phylum. There are between 14,000 and 17,000 species of legumes recognized. Legumes are used for food, forage and medicinal purposes. Beans, peas, and peanuts are types of legumes that are used for food. Alfalfa and clover are types of legumes that are used for forage.
Legumes grow in most parts of the world.
Types of legumes vary ubiquitously and might come in the form of trees, shrubs, or herbs. Legumes take nitrogen into their roots from the air. In the roots there is a bacteria, called rhizobia, living in nodules. The plant and bacteria have a beneficial relationship toward each other. The plant supplies the bacteria with carbohydrates and other organic compounds.