1213
Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp.
|
Synonym
|
: |
Cajan indorum
|
|
Family |
: |
Fabaceae |
|
Local
name |
: |
Malayalam- .Thuvara, English- Red gram |
|
Flowering
and fruiting period |
: |
December-March |
|
Distribution |
: |
Worldwide |
|
Distribution
in Kerala |
: |
Kottayam, Alappuzha, Kollam, Pathanamthitta, Malappuram, Palakkad,
Kozh |
|
Habitat |
: |
cultivated |
|
Uses |
: |
Edible |
|
Key botanical characters: Shrubs 2- 3 m tall; stems ribbed,
golden sericeous. Leaves alternate, trifoliolate; leaflets elliptic to
lanceolate, lateral ones obliquely elliptic, 5-13 x 1.5-6 cm, upper surface
glabrate, lower surface usually densely silvery pilose; stipules linear 2-3
mm long, stipelsfiliform 1-2 mm long. Flowers in axillary pseudo-racemes,
rarely also terminal. Calyx golden tomentose and glandular, persistent in
fruit. Standard petal yellow, 12-17 mm long, often reddish-lined or orange to
purple externally; wings yellow, keel yellowish-green tinged orange to
purple. Stamens diadelphous, anthers uniform. Pods 4-10 x.0.5-1 cm, yellow or
green striped with maroon or dark purple, straight to sickle-shaped,
pubescent and glandular, weakly septate within; seeds 2-9, cream or reddish
brown, slightly laterally flattened, 4-9 x 3-8 mm.  |
||
