Legumes belong to the botanical family Papilionaceae within the order Fabaceae (also called Leguminosae). The Fabaceae family includes about 600 general and 13,000 species, making it the third largest family within the plant kingdom. Familiar legumes aside from dry peas, lentils, and chickpeas include soybeans, fava beans, peanuts, lupins, beans, lucerne (alfalfa), clovers, and vetches.