Editing Fabaceae (section)

=== Flowers ===

{{redirect |Pea flower |the flour produced from peas |pea flour}}
{{See also |Papilionaceous flower}}

[[File:Wisteria sinensis anatomia en.svg|thumb |right |300px |A flower of ''[[Wisteria sinensis]]'', Faboideae. Two petals have been removed to show stamens and pistil]]

The [[flower]]s often have five generally fused [[sepal]]s and five free [[petal]]s. They are generally [[plant sexuality|hermaphroditic]] and have a short [[hypanthium]], usually cup-shaped. There are normally ten [[stamen]]s and one elongated superior [[ovary (plants)|ovary]], with a curved [[style (botany)|style]]. They are usually arranged in [[Inflorescence#Terminal flower|indeterminate]] [[inflorescence]]s. Fabaceae are typically [[entomophily|entomophilous]] plants (i.e. they are [[pollinated]] by [[insect]]s), and the flowers are usually showy to attract [[pollinator]]s.

In the [[Caesalpinioideae]], the flowers are often [[zygomorphic]], as in ''[[Cercis]]'', or nearly symmetrical with five equal petals, as in ''[[Bauhinia]]''. The upper petal is the innermost one, unlike in the [[Faboideae]]. Some species, like some in the genus ''[[Senna (plant)|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 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 [[Papilionaceous flower|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 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 (plant)|Cadia]]'', these genes are expressed throughout the flower, producing a radially symmetrical flower.<ref>{{cite journal |title=An apparent reversal in floral symmetry in the legume Cadia is a homeotic transformation |author1=Hélène L. Citerne |author2=R. Toby Pennington |author3=Quentin C. B. Cronk |doi=10.1073/pnas.0600986103 |journal=PNAS |date=8 August 2006 |volume=103 |issue=32 |pages=12017–12020 |pmc=1567690 |pmid=16880394 |bibcode=2006PNAS..10312017C |doi-access=free }}</ref>