Abstract
The diversity of legumes, indigenous to South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland is reported using recorded descriptive and distribution data. A total of 24 tribes, 118 genera and 1662 species were documented with the majority of genera belonging to subfamily Faboideae, tribe Phaseoleae, and the majority of species to tribe Crotalarieae. In terms of distribution patterns, most species were present in the Savanna Biome and Central Bushveld Bioregion. Even though most tribes contain species with secondary metabolites (mainly non-protein amino acids), tribes containing poisonous species are far fewer. Herbs are the key growth form, followed by shrubs, dwarf shrubs and trees. The majority of species are perennials. A map representing the collection intensity for the study area showed that the majority of legumes species were collected in the Fynbos, Savanna and Grassland Biome. It is concluded that indigenous South African legumes are extremely diverse and this denotes the importance of further investigating their forage potential or use in other agricultural practices. Key words: Biomes, bioregions, Fabaceae, fodder, genebank, Leguminosae, pastures, tribes.
Highlights
Legumes are used extensively in various agricultural practices, for example as high quality pastures, cover and cash crops, for soil improvement and erosion control (Graham and Vance, 2003; Gepts et al, 2005; Lewis et al, 2005)
In terms of distribution patterns, most species were present in the Savanna Biome and Central Bushveld Bioregion
It is concluded that indigenous South African legumes are extremely diverse and this denotes the importance of further investigating their forage potential or use in other agricultural practices
Summary
Legumes are used extensively in various agricultural practices, for example as high quality pastures, cover and cash crops, for soil improvement and erosion control (Graham and Vance, 2003; Gepts et al, 2005; Lewis et al, 2005). The most valued commercially produced indigenous legumes are Aspalathus linearis (rooibos) and Cyclopia intermedia (honey bush) endemic to the Cape Floristic Region and well-known for their culinary (as tea) and medicinal value. Researchers such as Sprent et al (2010) argued that by developing indigenous African legumes, especially those well adapted to drought and low soil nutrient levels, agricultural diversity will be retained. The majority of recently published work on South African legumes relates to phylogenetic and biological nitrogen fixation studies. The latest research on biological nitrogen fixation focused on Lotononis bainesii (Jaftha et al, 2002), Lebeckia spp. In terms of pasture evaluation Rootman et al (2004) and Howieson (2010) are among the more recent papers reporting on the use of indigenous legumes in pasture evaluation trials under South African conditions
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
