Vascular Flora of the Southeastern United States

Leguminosae, the second of five books to be published in the Vascular Flora of the Southeastern United States series, focuses on one of the most important and largest plant families in the region. The legume or bean family, which includes soybeans, peanuts, redbud, and their relatives, is one of the two plant groups that have made civilization possible. The legumes furnish protein and oil for food and industry and, through bacterial nodules on their roots, maintain the nitrogen balance in the soil. Also included in this plant family are numerous ornamentals, particularly in the southern part of the country. This volume is the first to treat the southeastern legumes in nearly sixty years.