77-510: The common blue butterfly or European common blue ( Polyommatus icarus ) is a butterfly in the family Lycaenidae and subfamily Polyommatinae . The butterfly is found throughout the Palearctic and has been introduced to North America. Butterflies in the Polyommatinae are collectively called blues, from the coloring of the wings. Common blue males usually have wings that are blue above with
154-425: A wingspan of 28–36 millimetres (1.1–1.4 in). The dorsal side of the wings is an iridescent lilac blue, bright violet-blue, or almost hyacinth-blue with a thin black border. Females' wings are brown or black-brown with a row of red reddish yellow spots along the edges of the wings (marginal spots) and usually some blue at the base. The extent of blue and brown is extremely variable depending on location. The top of
231-494: A black-brown border and a white fringe. The females are usually brown above with a blue dusting and orange spots. The Common blue was elected as the national butterfly of Israel in 2023. This species was first described by Siegmund Adrian von Rottemburg in 1775. Vernacular names that have been given to P. icarus include little blew argus, blew argus, mixed argus, selvedg’d argus, ultramarine blue, caerulean butterfly, and alexis. Subspecies include: Polyommatus icarus has
308-468: A dozen black-centered white spots (ocelli) on the hindwing and nine on the forewing. These usually include one in the middle of the forewing cell , absent in Chapman's and Escher's blues . The fringes on the outer edge of the wings are uniform white, not crossed with black lines as in the chalkhill and Adonis blues (that is, the common blue lacks checkering). Other similar species are:- The caterpillar
385-593: A number of Leguminosae have been a staple human food for millennia and their use is closely related to human evolution . The family Fabaceae includes a number of plants that are common in agriculture including Glycine max ( soybean ), Phaseolus (beans), Pisum sativum ( pea ), Cicer arietinum ( chickpeas ), Vicia faba ( broad bean ), Medicago sativa ( alfalfa ), Arachis hypogaea ( peanut ), Ceratonia siliqua (carob), Trigonella foenum-graecum ( fenugreek ), and Glycyrrhiza glabra ( liquorice ). A number of species are also weedy pests in different parts of
462-606: A potential host plant and evaluate its suitability as the host plant for oviposition. P. icarus uses visual cues to conduct this task. Females use several plants in the family Fabaceae as larval host plants, many which could also potentially function as nectar sources. P. icarus prefers plants with flowers over plants without, and prefers to oviposit near the flowers. As a caterpillar, the common blue eats leaves. As an adult butterfly, it feeds on wildflower nectar and excrement. The adult lives 3 weeks. Males are often very obvious as they defend territories against rivals and seek out
539-555: A quarter of all legume species. The c. 19,000 known legume species amount to about 7% of flowering plant species. Fabaceae is the most common family found in tropical rainforests and dry forests of the Americas and Africa. Recent molecular and morphological evidence supports the fact that the Fabaceae is a single monophyletic family. This conclusion has been supported not only by the degree of interrelation shown by different groups within
616-432: A range of host plants in the family fabaceae, as well as have a mutualistic relationship with ants. For both male and female larvae, the total development time is longer with longer day lengths, corresponding to earlier times in the season. When larvae are born earlier in the season, they take a longer time to develop. When they are born later, they take a shorter time to develop. Thus the external effect of photoperiod affects
693-406: A relationship called myrmecophily . These associations can be mutualistic, parasitic, or predatory depending on the species. In some species, larvae are attended and protected by ants while feeding on the host plant, and the ants receive sugar-rich honeydew from them, throughout the larval life, and in some species during the pupal stage. In other species, only the first few instars are spent on
770-833: A rhizobia species may often infect more than one host species. This means that one plant species may be infected by more than one species of bacteria. For example, nodules in Acacia senegal can contain seven species of rhizobia belonging to three different genera. The most distinctive characteristics that allow rhizobia to be distinguished apart are the rapidity of their growth and the type of root nodule that they form with their host. Root nodules can be classified as being either indeterminate, cylindrical and often branched, and determinate, spherical with prominent lenticels. Indeterminate nodules are characteristic of legumes from temperate climates, while determinate nodules are commonly found in species from tropical or subtropical climates. Nodule formation
847-665: A short hypanthium , usually cup-shaped. There are normally ten stamens and one elongated superior ovary , with a curved style . They are usually arranged in indeterminate inflorescences . Fabaceae are typically entomophilous plants (i.e. they are pollinated by insects ), and the flowers are usually showy to attract pollinators . In the Caesalpinioideae , the flowers are often zygomorphic , as in Cercis , or nearly symmetrical with five equal petals, as in Bauhinia . The upper petal
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#1733085940410924-430: A staple, essential as a source of protein. Their ability to fix atmospheric nitrogen reduces fertilizer costs for farmers and gardeners who grow legumes, and means that legumes can be used in a crop rotation to replenish soil that has been depleted of nitrogen . Legume seeds and foliage have a comparatively higher protein content than non-legume materials, due to the additional nitrogen that legumes receive through
1001-736: A wide variety of growth forms , including trees, shrubs, herbaceous plants, and even vines or lianas . The herbaceous plants can be annuals, biennials , or perennials, without basal or terminal leaf aggregations. Many Legumes have tendrils. They are upright plants, epiphytes , or vines. The latter support themselves by means of shoots that twist around a support or through cauline or foliar tendrils . Plants can be heliophytes , mesophytes , or xerophytes . The leaves are usually alternate and compound. Most often they are even- or odd- pinnately compound (e.g. Caragana and Robinia respectively), often trifoliate (e.g. Trifolium , Medicago ) and rarely palmately compound (e.g. Lupinus ), in
1078-457: A wide variety of taxa representing the main lineages in the Fabaceae have been found in the fossil record dating from the middle to the late Eocene , suggesting that the majority of the modern Fabaceae groups were already present and that a broad diversification occurred during this period. Therefore, the Fabaceae started their diversification approximately 60 million years ago and the most important clades separated 50 million years ago. The age of
1155-583: Is Britain and Ireland's (and probably Europe's) most common and most widespread blue. It is found as far north as Orkney and on most of the Outer Hebrides . A range of grassland habitats are used: meadows, coastal dunes, woodland clearings, and also many man-made habitats, anywhere their food plants are found. This is a recently introduced species in eastern Canada. It was discovered in Mirabel, Quebec , Canada, by Ara Sarafian, an amateur entomologist who observed
1232-1035: Is a favored plant for two reasons: it provides adult nutrition, as well as food for the larva after it hatches. The larvae feed on plants from the bean family, Leguminosae . Recorded food plants are Lathyrus species, Vicia species, Vicia cracca , Oxytropis campestris , bird's foot trefoil ( Lotus corniculatus ), Oxytropis pyrenaica , Astragalus aristatus , Astragalus onobrychis , Astragalus pinetorum , black medick ( Medicago lupulina ), Medicago romanica , Medicago falcata , common restharrow ( Ononis repens ), wild thyme Thymus serpyllum , lesser trefoil ( Trifolium dubium ), Trifolium pratense and white clover ( Trifolium repens ). Common blues sequester flavonoids from their host plants and allocate these pigments that are UV-absorbing into their wings. These flavonoid pigments in females attract males. Males who patrol areas of suitable habitats while searching for virgin females stop and inspect females who have flavonoid pigments in them. This may be due to
1309-437: Is also a difference between the dorsal and ventral eye-shine of P. icarus , with the dorsal retina dominated by yellow-reflecting ommatidia and the ventral exhibiting yellow and red-reflecting ommatidia. P. icarus is able to use color vision and distinguish between yellow of 590 nm (2.3 × 10 in) and blue of 430 nm (1.7 × 10 in), but is not able to distinguish between yellow and red of 640 nm. Named in
1386-515: Is common throughout the Fabaceae. It is found in the majority of its members that only form an association with rhizobia, which in turn form an exclusive symbiosis with the Fabaceae (with the exception of Parasponia , the only genus of the 18 Ulmaceae genera that is capable of forming nodules). Nodule formation is present in all the Fabaceae sub-families, although it is less common in the Caesalpinioideae. All types of nodule formation are present in
1463-497: Is defined by isoxazolin-5-one derivatives. These compounds occur in particular together with 3-NPA and related derivatives at the same time in the same species, as found in Astragalus canadensis and Astragalus collinus . 3-NPA and isoxazlin-5-one derivatives also occur in many species of leaf beetles (see defense in insects ). Legumes are economically and culturally important plants due to their extraordinary diversity and abundance,
1540-553: Is much more effective when coming from natural host plants than from experimentally offered diets. Females sequester about 60% more flavonoids than do males. This richness in females may increase visibility, but could also confer information about feeding history, and consequentially the quality of potential mate. Flavonoid sequestration is an important component of intraspecific visual communication and sexual signaling in Polyommatus butterflies. During oviposition , females must locate
1617-449: Is olive green/brown and formed on the ground, where it is attended by ants of genera Myrmica , Lasius , Formica , Plagiolepiss , which will often take it into their nests. The larva creates a substance called honeydew , which the ants eat while the butterfly lives in the ant hill. The relationship between these ants and blue common larvae is described to be facultatively mutualistic . There are five instars of larvae. During
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#17330859404101694-610: Is small, pale green with yellow stripes and, as usual with Lycaenid larvae, rather slug -like. The common blue butterfly is found in Europe , North Africa , the Canary Islands , and east across the Palearctic to Northern China. Recently it was discovered in Quebec, Canada. It is widespread in the British Isles . Its distribution trend shows a 15% decline since the 1970s. The common blue
1771-582: Is the innermost one, unlike in the Faboideae . Some species, like some in the genus Senna , have asymmetric flowers, with one of the lower petals larger than the opposing one, and the style bent to one side. The calyx, corolla, or stamens can be showy in this group. In the Mimosoideae , the flowers are actinomorphic and arranged in globose inflorescences. The petals are small and the stamens, which can be more than just 10, have long, coloured filaments, which are
1848-497: Is widely distributed, and is the third-largest land plant family in number of species, behind only the Orchidaceae and Asteraceae , with about 765 genera and nearly 20,000 known species. The five largest genera of the family are Astragalus (over 3,000 species), Acacia (over 1,000 species), Indigofera (around 700 species), Crotalaria (around 700 species), and Mimosa (around 400 species), which constitute about
1925-500: The Classical tradition . In Greek mythology, Icarus was the son of the master craftsman Daedalus, the architect of the labyrinth of Crete. Lycaenidae and see text or List of lycaenid genera Lycaenidae is the second-largest family of butterflies (behind Nymphalidae , brush-footed butterflies), with over 6,000 species worldwide, whose members are also called gossamer-winged butterflies . They constitute about 30% of
2002-516: The Paleogene to become a ubiquitous part of the modern earth's biota , along with many other families belonging to the flowering plants. The Fabaceae have an abundant and diverse fossil record, especially for the Tertiary period. Fossils of flowers, fruit, leaves, wood and pollen from this period have been found in numerous locations. The earliest fossils that can be definitively assigned to
2079-603: The Rosidae clade (as established by the gene molecular phylogeny of rbcL , a gene coding for part of the RuBisCO enzyme in the chloroplast ). This grouping indicates that the predisposition for forming nodules probably only arose once in flowering plants and that it can be considered as an ancestral characteristic that has been conserved or lost in certain lineages. However, such a wide distribution of families and genera within this lineage indicates that nodulation had multiple origins. Of
2156-563: The Tethys seaway during the Palaeogene Period. However, others contend that Africa (or even the Americas ) cannot yet be ruled out as the origin of the family. The current hypothesis about the evolution of the genes needed for nodulation is that they were recruited from other pathways after a polyploidy event. Several different pathways have been implicated as donating duplicated genes to
2233-458: The fruit of these plants, which are called legumes . Fabaceae range in habit from giant trees (like Koompassia excelsa ) to small annual herbs , with the majority being herbaceous perennials. Plants have indeterminate inflorescences, which are sometimes reduced to a single flower. The flowers have a short hypanthium and a single carpel with a short gynophore , and after fertilization produce fruits that are legumes. The Fabaceae have
2310-519: The "tentacular organ" is present on the eighth abdominal segment and this is cylindrical and topped with a ring of spikes and emits chemical signals which are believed to help in communicating with ants. Many taxonomists only include the Lycaeninae , Theclinae , Polyommatinae , Poritiinae , Miletinae , and Curetinae under the Lycaenidae. The Aphnaeinae , which used to be a tribe (Aphnaeini) within
2387-498: The 10 families within the Rosidae, 8 have nodules formed by actinomyces ( Betulaceae , Casuarinaceae , Coriariaceae , Datiscaceae , Elaeagnaceae , Myricaceae , Rhamnaceae and Rosaceae ), and the two remaining families, Ulmaceae and Fabaceae have nodules formed by rhizobia. The rhizobia and their hosts must be able to recognize each other for nodule formation to commence. Rhizobia are specific to particular host species although
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2464-462: The Fabaceae appeared in the early Palaeocene (approximately 65 million years ago). Representatives of the 3 sub-families traditionally recognised as being members of the Fabaceae – Cesalpinioideae, Papilionoideae and Mimosoideae – as well as members of the large clades within these sub-families – such as the genistoides – have been found in periods later, starting between 55 and 50 million years ago. In fact,
2541-536: The Fabaceae. Forisome proteins are found in the sieve tubes of Fabaceae; uniquely they are not dependent on ADT . The order Fabales contains around 7.3% of eudicot species and the greatest part of this diversity is contained in just one of the four families that the order contains: Fabaceae. This clade also includes the families Polygalaceae , Surianaceae and Quillajaceae and its origins date back 94 to 89 million years, although it started its diversification 79 to 74 million years ago. The Fabaceae diversified during
2618-708: The Faboideae, even though diversification within each genus was relatively recent. For instance, Astragalus separated from the Oxytropis 16 to 12 million years ago. In addition, the separation of the aneuploid species of Neoastragalus started 4 million years ago. Inga , another genus of the Papilionoideae with approximately 350 species, seems to have diverged in the last 2 million years. It has been suggested, based on fossil and phylogenetic evidence, that legumes originally evolved in arid and/or semi-arid regions along
2695-571: The Mimosoideae and the Caesalpinioideae commonly bipinnate (e.g. Acacia , Mimosa ). They always have stipules , which can be leaf-like (e.g. Pisum ), thorn-like (e.g. Robinia ) or be rather inconspicuous. Leaf margins are entire or, occasionally, serrate . Both the leaves and the leaflets often have wrinkled pulvini to permit nastic movements . In some species, leaflets have evolved into tendrils (e.g. Vicia ). Many species have leaves with structures that attract ants which protect
2772-492: The Riodininae. Leguminosae The Fabaceae ( / f ə ˈ b eɪ s i . iː , - ˌ aɪ / ) or Leguminosae , commonly known as the legume , pea , or bean family , are a large and agriculturally important family of flowering plants . It includes trees , shrubs , and perennial or annual herbaceous plants , which are easily recognized by their fruit ( legume ) and their compound, stipulate leaves. The family
2849-590: The Theclinae, were recently given subfamily rank too. Some older classifications used to include other subfamilies such as Liphyrinae (now Liphyrini, a tribe within Miletinae ), Lipteninae (now Liptenini, a tribe within Poritiinae ), or Riodininae (now a separate family: Riodinidae ). The fossil genus Lithodryas is usually (but not unequivocally) placed here; Lithopsyche is sometimes placed here, but sometimes in
2926-577: The ability to take nitrogen gas (N 2 ) out of the air and convert it to a form of nitrogen that is usable to the host plant ( NO 3 or NH 3 ). This process is called nitrogen fixation . The legume, acting as a host, and rhizobia , acting as a provider of usable nitrate, form a symbiotic relationship. Members of the Phaseoleae genus Apios form tubers, which can be edible. The flowers often have five generally fused sepals and five free petals . They are generally hermaphroditic and have
3003-495: The apex (remaining free at the base), forming a boat-like structure called the keel. The stamens are always ten in number, and their filaments can be fused in various configurations, often in a group of nine stamens plus one separate stamen. Various genes in the CYCLOIDEA (CYC)/DICHOTOMA (DICH) family are expressed in the upper (also called dorsal or adaxial) petal; in some species, such as Cadia , these genes are expressed throughout
3080-429: The basic legume fruit. The Fabaceae are rarely cyanogenic . Where they are, the cyanogenic compounds are derived from tyrosine , phenylalanine or leucine . They frequently contain alkaloids . Proanthocyanidins can be present either as cyanidin or delphinidine or both at the same time. Flavonoids such as kaempferol , quercitin and myricetin are often present. Ellagic acid has never been found in any of
3157-1067: The butterfly from 2005 to 2008. He contacted the Canadian National Collection of Insects in Ottawa where the butterfly was identified as Polyommatus icarus , a newly introduced butterfly to Canada and to North America. The butterfly seems to be well established and is extending its range from year to year. A study from Montreal, Quebec, Canada showed that the common blue is most abundant in areas with greater urban land cover and where their preferred larval host plant, bird's foot trefoil ( Lotus corniculatus ), can be found. These butterflies inhabit flowery or grassy places, warm and cool, open or wooded areas and at all altitudes up to high alpine meadows at an elevation of 0–2,700 m (0–9,000 ft) above sea level. It mostly resides on chalk or limestone grassland, but also in smaller numbers in woodland clearings, meadows, heathlands, sand dunes, along railway embankments, and under cliffs. Previously, P. icarus
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3234-436: The chloroplast genes rbcL and matK , or the ribosomal spacers ITS ) and cladistic analysis in order to investigate the relationships between the family's different lineages. Fabaceae is consistently recovered as monophyletic . The studies further confirmed that the traditional subfamilies Mimosoideae and Papilionoideae were each monophyletic but both were nested within the paraphyletic subfamily Caesalpinioideae. All
3311-560: The compound 3-nitropropanoic acid (3-NPA, beta-nitropropionic acid ). The free acid 3-NPA is an irreversible inhibitor of mitochondrial respiration , and thus the compound inhibits the tricarboxylic acid cycle . This inhibition caused by 3-NPA is especially toxic to nerve cells and represents a very general toxic mechanism suggesting a profound ecological importance due to the big number of species producing this compound and its derivatives. A second and closely related class of secondary metabolites that occur in many species of leguminous plants
3388-536: The different approaches yielded similar results regarding the relationships between the family's main clades. Following extensive discussion in the legume phylogenetics community, the Legume Phylogeny Working Group reclassified Fabaceae into six subfamilies, which necessitated the segregation of four new subfamilies from Caesalpinioideae and merging Caesapinioideae sensu stricto with the former subfamily Mimosoideae. The exact branching order of
3465-552: The different subfamilies is still unresolved. Polygalaceae ( outgroup ) Surianaceae (outgroup) Quillajaceae (outgroup) Cercidoideae Detarioideae Duparquetioideae Dialioideae Caesalpinioideae Faboideae The Fabaceae are placed in the order Fabales according to most taxonomic systems, including the APG III system . The family now includes six subfamilies: The Fabaceae have an essentially worldwide distribution, being found everywhere except Antarctica and
3542-473: The egg sac is pale-greenish grey, with the actual arrangement being white. Eggs are laid singly on young shoots of the food plant. The larvae emerge around a week or two after eggs are laid. The larvae of P. icarus feed on the underside of leaves, causing blotching. Hibernation occurs as a half-grown larvae. They are attractive to ants of genera Myrmica , Lasius , Formica , Plagiolepiss , but not as much as some other species of blues. The chrysalis
3619-464: The fact that flavonoid pigments that have UV absorption increase color saturation on females and allow females to be more conspicuous. There are also some other advantages of sequestering flavonoids, including the protection of eggs from adverse UV chemical reactions, as the butterflies will absorb the UV rays, and the flavonoids can offer a chemical defense against predators or pathogens. Flavonoid sequestration
3696-443: The false head ending up with a beak of dusty scales. Lycaenid caterpillars are diverse in their food habits and apart from phytophagy , some are entomophagous , feeding on aphids , scale insects , and ant larvae. Some lycaenids even exploit their association with ants by inducing ants to feed them by regurgitation, a process called trophallaxis . Not all lycaenid butterflies need ants, but about 75% of species associate with ants,
3773-479: The family compared with that found among the Leguminosae and their closest relations, but also by all the recent phylogenetic studies based on DNA sequences. These studies confirm that the Fabaceae are a monophyletic group that is closely related to the families Polygalaceae , Surianaceae and Quillajaceae and that they belong to the order Fabales . Along with the cereals , some fruits and tropical roots,
3850-422: The first instar, larva emerge and eat away the crown of the egg. The segments of the larvae are large and rounded, and the following segments are smaller. The body is a light green, and is whitish in light. This stage lasts about nine days. The second instar, after the first moult, adds a couple of body segments onto the larvae, and the body is more green. The third instar signifies more feeding and growing in size of
3927-432: The flower, producing a radially symmetrical flower. The ovary most typically develops into a legume . A legume is a simple dry fruit that usually dehisces (opens along a seam) on two sides. A common name for this type of fruit is a "pod", although that can also be applied to a few other fruit types. A few species have evolved samarae , loments , follicles , indehiscent legumes, achenes , drupes , and berries from
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#17330859404104004-429: The genera or species analysed. Sugars are transported within the plants in the form of sucrose . C3 photosynthesis has been found in a wide variety of genera. The family has also evolved a unique chemistry. Many legumes contain toxic and indigestible substances, antinutrients , which may be removed through various processing methods. Pterocarpans are a class of molecules (derivatives of isoflavonoids ) found only in
4081-452: The high Arctic. The trees are often found in tropical regions, while the herbaceous plants and shrubs are predominant outside the tropics. Biological nitrogen fixation (BNF, performed by the organisms called diazotrophs ) is a very old process that probably originated in the Archean eon when the primitive atmosphere lacked oxygen . It is only carried out by Euryarchaeota and just 6 of
4158-428: The infection thread development in that infection threads grow in a polar manner that is similar to a pollen tubes polar growth towards the ovules. Both pathways include the same type of enzymes, pectin-degrading cell wall enzymes. The enzymes needed to reduce nitrogen, nitrogenases, require a substantial input of ATP but at the same time are sensitive to free oxygen. To meet the requirements of this paradoxical situation,
4235-669: The known butterfly species. The family comprises seven subfamilies, including the blues ( Polyommatinae ), the coppers ( Lycaeninae ), the hairstreaks ( Theclinae ), and the harvesters ( Miletinae ). Adults are small, under 5 cm usually, and brightly coloured, sometimes with a metallic gloss. Lycaenidae wings are generally blue or green. More than half of these butterflies depend on ants in some way. Larvae are often flattened rather than cylindrical, with glands that may produce secretions that attract and subdue ants . Their cuticles tend to be thickened. Some larvae are capable of producing vibrations and low sounds that are transmitted through
4312-422: The larvae. They are about 3.2 millimetres (0.13 in) long and the head and legs are black colored. In the fourth and fifth instar, the larvae becomes very green, has ten body segments, and measures about 13 millimetres (0.51 in) in length. Larval growth rates are thought to be determined mainly by temperature and food quality and availability. The larvae of P. icarus are oligophagous, meaning they utilize
4389-630: The length of development for the larvae. Pupation, a stage that lasts about two weeks, occurs under silk strands at the base of the food plant. The chrysalis is olive green/brown and formed on the ground, where it is attended by ants. Ants may aid in protecting the pupa and may bury it to protect it from predators. The male, with a bluer color, is more conspicuous than the female, which has brown upperwings. Males fly farther distances in search of territories that have fertile females. Females fly lower and search for nectar and places to lay her eggs. Wing span ranges from 29–36 millimetres (1.1–1.4 in). When
4466-461: The main Cesalpinioideae clades have been estimated as between 56 and 34 million years and the basal group of the Mimosoideae as 44 ± 2.6 million years. The division between Mimosoideae and Faboideae is dated as occurring between 59 and 34 million years ago and the basal group of the Faboideae as 58.6 ± 0.2 million years ago. It has been possible to date the divergence of some of the groups within
4543-607: The more reclusive females. In the south of Britain there are two broods a year, flying in May and June and again in August and September. Northern England has one brood, flying between June and September. In a year with a long warm season, there is sometimes a partial third brood in the south flying into October. The egg stage lasts for around eight days. The eggs are white and shaped like flattened spheres. The eggs are very small, about 0.60 millimetres ( 1 ⁄ 32 in). The ground color of
4620-580: The more than 50 phyla of bacteria . Some of these lineages co-evolved together with the flowering plants establishing the molecular basis of a mutually beneficial symbiotic relationship. BNF is carried out in nodules that are mainly located in the root cortex, although they are occasionally located in the stem as in Sesbania rostrata . The spermatophytes that co-evolved with actinorhizal diazotrophs ( Frankia ) or with rhizobia to establish their symbiotic relationship belong to 11 families contained within
4697-409: The pathways need for nodulation. The main donors to the pathway were the genes associated with the arbuscular mycorrhiza symbiosis genes, the pollen tube formation genes and the haemoglobin genes. One of the main genes shown to be shared between the arbuscular mycorrhiza pathway and the nodulation pathway is SYMRK and it is involved in the plant-bacterial recognition. The pollen tube growth is similar to
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#17330859404104774-431: The plant from herbivore insects (a form of mutualism ). Extrafloral nectaries are common among the Mimosoideae and the Caesalpinioideae, and are also found in some Faboideae (e.g. Vicia sativa ). In some Acacia , the modified hollow stipules are inhabited by ants and are known as domatia . Many Fabaceae host bacteria in their roots within structures called root nodules . These bacteria, known as rhizobia , have
4851-435: The plant, and the remainder of the larval lifespan is spent as a predator within the ant nest. It becomes a parasite, feeding on ant regurgitations, or a predator on the ant larvae. The caterpillars pupate inside the ants' nest and the ants continue to look after the pupae. Just before the adults emerge, the wings of the butterfly inside the pupal case detach from it, and the pupa becomes silvery. The adult butterfly emerges from
4928-436: The plants express a type of haemoglobin called leghaemoglobin that is believed to be recruited after a duplication event. These three genetic pathways are believed to be part of a gene duplication event then recruited to work in nodulation. The phylogeny of the legumes has been the object of many studies by research groups from around the world. These studies have used morphology, DNA data (the chloroplast intron trnL ,
5005-858: The process. Legumes are commonly used as natural fertilizers. Some legume species perform hydraulic lift , which makes them ideal for intercropping . Farmed legumes can belong to numerous classes, including forage , grain , blooms, pharmaceutical/industrial, fallow/green manure and timber species, with most commercially farmed species filling two or more roles simultaneously. There are of two broad types of forage legumes. Some, like alfalfa , clover , vetch , and Arachis , are sown in pasture and grazed by livestock. Other forage legumes such as Leucaena or Albizia are woody shrub or tree species that are either broken down by livestock or regularly cut by humans to provide fodder . Grain legumes are cultivated for their seeds , and are also called pulses . The seeds are used for human and animal consumption or for
5082-656: The production of indigo , Acacia , for gum arabic , and Derris , for the insecticide action of rotenone , a compound it produces. Fallow or green manure legume species are cultivated to be tilled back into the soil to exploit the high nitrogen levels found in most legumes. Numerous legumes are farmed for this purpose, including Leucaena , Cyamopsis and Sesbania . Various legume species are farmed for timber production worldwide, including numerous Acacia species, Dalbergia species, and Castanospermum australe . Melliferous plants offer nectar to bees and other insects to encourage them to carry pollen from
5159-709: The production of oils for industrial uses. Grain legumes include both herbaceous plants like beans , lentils , lupins , peas and peanuts , and trees such as carob , mesquite and tamarind . Lathyrus tuberosus , once extensively cultivated in Europe, forms tubers used for human consumption. Bloom legume species include species such as lupin , which are farmed commercially for their blooms, and thus are popular in gardens worldwide. Laburnum , Robinia , Gleditsia (honey locust), Acacia , Mimosa , and Delonix are ornamental trees and shrubs . Industrial farmed legumes include Indigofera , cultivated for
5236-484: The pupa after three to four weeks, still inside the ant nest. The butterfly must crawl out of the ant nest before it can expand its wings. Several evolutionary adaptations enable these associations, including small glands on the skin of the caterpillars called "pore cupola organs". Caterpillars of many species have a gland on the seventh abdominal segment that produces honeydew and is called the "dorsal nectary gland" (also called "Newcomer's gland"). An eversible organ called
5313-494: The sexes meet, copulation occurs immediately, usually without any courtship ritual. Visual systems in butterflies are highly diverse and their color vision abilities have only begun to be explored. To see color, P. icarus uses a duplicated blue opsin in conjunction with its long-wavelength opsin LWRh. This enables the common blue to see color in the green part of the light spectrum extending up to 560 nm (2.2 × 10 in). There
5390-425: The showiest part of the flower. All of the flowers in an inflorescence open at once. In the Faboideae , the flowers are zygomorphic, and have a specialized structure . The upper petal, called the banner or standard, is large and envelops the rest of the petals in bud, often reflexing when the flower blooms. The two adjacent petals, the wings, surround the two bottom petals. The two bottom petals are fused together at
5467-571: The subfamily Papilionoideae: indeterminate (with the meristem retained), determinate (without meristem) and the type included in Aeschynomene . The latter two are thought to be the most modern and specialised type of nodule as they are only present in some lines of the subfamily Papilionoideae. Even though nodule formation is common in the two monophyletic subfamilies Papilionoideae and Mimosoideae they also contain species that do not form nodules. The presence or absence of nodule-forming species within
5544-464: The substrates they inhabit. They use these sounds to communicate with ants. Adult individuals often have hairy antenna-like tails complete with black and white annulated (ringed) appearance. Many species also have a spot at the base of the tail and some turn around upon landing to confuse potential predators from recognizing the true head orientation. This causes predators to approach from the true head end resulting in early visual detection or to attack
5621-654: The three sub-families indicates that nodule formation has arisen several times during the evolution of the Fabaceae and that this ability has been lost in some lineages. For example, within the genus Acacia , a member of the Mimosoideae, A. pentagona does not form nodules, while other species of the same genus readily form nodules, as is the case for Acacia senegal , which forms both rapidly and slow growing rhizobial nodules. A large number of species within many genera of leguminous plants, e.g. Astragalus , Coronilla , Hippocrepis , Indigofera , Lotus , Securigera and Scorpiurus , produce chemicals that derive from
5698-541: The wide variety of edible vegetables they represent and due to the variety of uses they can be put to: in horticulture and agriculture, as a food, for the compounds they contain that have medicinal uses and for the oil and fats they contain that have a variety of uses. The history of legumes is tied in closely with that of human civilization, appearing early in Asia , the Americas (the common bean , several varieties) and Europe (broad beans) by 6,000 BCE , where they became
5775-509: The wings in the female may be mostly blue, especially in Ireland and Scotland , but it always has red spots. The ventral side has a greyish or dust-grey base colour in the males and a more brownish hue in the females. Both sexes have a row of red or orange spots along the edge of the hindwing and extending onto the forewing, though they are generally fainter there, particularly in the males, where they are sometimes missing altogether. There are about
5852-457: The world, including Cytisus scoparius (broom), Robinia pseudoacacia (black locust) , Ulex europaeus (gorse), Pueraria montana (kudzu), and a number of Lupinus species. The name 'Fabaceae' comes from the defunct genus Faba , now included in Vicia . The term "faba" comes from Latin, and appears to simply mean "bean". Leguminosae is an older name still considered valid, and refers to
5929-514: Was a very common species that occupied Europe and Asia, and was one of the most widely distributed butterflies in Britain. It is known to be tolerant of many habitats, including a wide range of grasslands. There has been an estimated 74% loss of the butterfly population since 1901. This could be due to the fact that 46% of the total land area covered by the butterfly's preferred host plant, Lotus corniculatus , has also been lost since 1901. This host plant
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