Paul Chambers, age 14, of Pocatello, Ids., for his question:

ARE THERE MANY KINDS OF LEGUMES?

Legume is any of the plants that belong to the pea family. They make up the second largest family of flowering plants. Botanists tell us there are about 13,000 kinds of legumes.

The group gets its name from the legumes or seed pods that most of the plants bear.

Some legumes are valuable foods such as beans, peas and peanuts. Others are important forage and pasture plants such as clover, vetch and alfalfa.

Legumes grow in most parts of the world. They vary widely and may be trees, shrubs or herbs. Many are climbing plants.

Legumes take nitrogen into their roots from the air. Certain bacteria, called rhizobia, live in nodules or the knotlike growths that form along the roots of the plants. This characteristic makes leguminous plants valuable in agriculture. Farmers often use them as green manure and as cover crops to improve poor soil.