Ayurvedic medicines are basically derived from the Vedic literature and plants of family Fabaceae have special importance in the Ayurvedic medicines.The family Fabaceae popularly known as legumes, is the third largest order of seed-plants containing about 600 genera with 12,000 species. They are usually arranged in three well defined sub families and they are Papilionaceae, Caesalpiniaceae amd Mimosaceae.

Some of the important medicinal plants of sub family Papilionaceae include Abrus precatorius Linn., Alhagi camelorum Linn., Alhagi murorum, A. pseudalhagi Linn., Arachis hypogaea Linn., Alysicarpus lyagfolius Wight And Arn., Alysicarpus nummularifolius DC., A. rugosus DC., A.vaginalis DC., Astragalus hamosus Linn., A. multiceps Wall., A. strobiliferus Royle., A. tribuloides Del., Atylosia scarabaeoides Benth., Butea monosperma O. Kuntze., Butea superba Roxb., Cajanus indicus Spreng., Canavalia ensiformis DC., Cicer arintinum Linn., Clitoria ternatea Linn., Colutea nepalensis Sims., Crotolaria alata Ham., C. albida Heyne, C. burhia Ham., C. fulva Roxb., C. junea Linn., C. prostrata Rottl., C. retusa Linn., C,sericea Retz., C. striata DC., C. trifoliastrum Wills., C. versucosa, Cyamopsis tetragonoloba Taub., Cylista scariosa Roxb., Dalbergia lancelaria Linn., D. latifolia Roxb., D. multiflora Heyne, D. sissi Roxb., D. spinosa Roxb., D. tamarindifolia Roxb., D.volubilis Roxb., Derris indica Benth., Derris scandens Benth, D. uliginosa Benth, Desmodium gangeticum DC., D. heterophyllum DC., D.lasiocarpum DC., D. polycarpum DC., D. pulchellum Benth., D. retroflexum DC., D. scalpe DC., D. tiliafolium G. Don, D. triflorum DC., Dolichos biflorus Linn., D. falcatus Klein., D. lablab Linn., Erythrina indica Lam., E. ovalifolia Roxb., E. stricta Roxb., E. suberosa Roxb., Fleminga chappar Ham., F.congesta Roxb., F. nana Roxb., F. strobilifera R.Br, F. tuberosa Dalz., Glycyrrhiza glabra Linn., Glycine soja Sieb.&Zucc., Indigofera argentea Linn., I.aspalathoides Vahl ., I . gerardiana R. Grah., I . glabra Linn., I . glandulosa Willd., I . hirsute Linn., I . linifolia, Retz., I . oblongifolia Forsk., I . pulchella Roxb., I . tinctoria Linn., I . trifoliata, I. trito Linn. Fil., Lens esculenta Moench ., Melilot indica All, M. officinalis Lam., Mucuna capitata Sweet, M. gigantea DC., M. monosperma DC., M . prurita Hook., Ormocarpum sennoides ., Ougeina dalbergioides Benth ., Pachyrhizus angulatus Rich., Phaseolus aconitifolius Jacq ., P. adenanthus Meyer., Phaseolus lunatus Linn., P . mungo, P. radiatus Linn. , P. trilobus Ait ., P.vulagris Linn., Pisum sativum Linn., Pongamia glabra Vent., Pseudarthria viscida W. and A., Psoralea corylifolia Linn., Pterocarpus indicus Willd., P. marsupium Roxb., P. santalinus Linn. fil., Pueraria tuberosa DC., Rhynchosia minima DC., Sesbania aculeate Poir, Sesbania aegyptiaca Poir, S. grandiflora Pers., Sophora tomentosa Linn., Spatholobus roxburghii Benth ., Taverniera cuneifolia Arn., Tephrosia petrosa Blatter and Hallberg ., T.purpurea Pers, Tephrosia villosa Pers., Teramnus labialis Spreng ., Trigonella foenum –graecum Linn., T.occulta Del., T. polycerata Linn., Uraria picta Desv ., Vicia faba Linn., Vicia sativa Linn., Vigna catiang Walp., Zornia diphylla Pers.,