The need for an update of current work is especially valid for legumes which carry the specific trait to be able to form root nodules. The family Fabaceae con- tains 630 genera and 18,000 species, making it the third largest family of flowering plants [1]. It is convention- ally divided into three distinct sub-families, mainly according to differences in floral structure. The sub- families Mimosoideae and Caesalpinoideae consist pri- marily of trees, shrubs and vines but few herbs, contain many species that are valuable as ornamentals or for their timber, dyes, resins and medicinal properties. They are especially abundant in tropical rainforests, where they may account for half the trees present and are probably fixing vast quantities of nitrogen. The third sub-family, Papilionoideae, contains many species of agricultural importance in temperate and tropical regions. They are a highly nutritional food source for humans and animals, and they are also used as ground cover in plantations and on eroded soils, and as green manures. Taken together the family Fabaceae is second only to the Poaceae in economic importance. Plant tissues and plants are benefited extensively by endo- phytic microbes; they promote plant growth and yield and confer enhanced resistance to various pathogens.