Edible: Seeds, Leaves, Roots - coffee, Vegetable
An annual legume herb. Plants are 40-60 cm high and all parts are hairy. It is erect with many branches. Plants are often bluish green in colour. Plants have a strong taproot. The root carries many nodules. The leaves are 5 cm long. It has leaves made up of 9-15 pairs of leaflets along a stalk and a single leaflet at the end. The leaflets are 1-2 cm long by 0.3-1.4 cm wide and strongly pointed and with a saw toothed edge. The flowers can be white, pink or purple. The flowers are carried singly on long stalks in the axils of leaves. The flowers normally never open and are self pollinated. The pods are inflated. Pods are 2-3 cm long and have 1 or 2 seeds. The seeds are angular and up to 1 cm across. They have a pointed beak. The seed colour can vary from brown, white, red or black. There are many named cultivated varieties.
A subtropical crop. It suits high altitudes in the tropics because it needs cold nights with dew. It is well suited to semi arid regions. It can tolerate salt and drought. It does not do well in warm, humid places. It needs well drained soil. It is damaged by frost. For best growth, night temperatures between 18-26°C and day temperatures of 21-29°C, are required. The temperature range of 8°C between day and night is required. Rainfall of 600-750 mm and a relative humidity of 20-40% is suitable. The best pH is 5.5-7.5 but they will grow on alkaline soils. In Nepal they are grown up to 1300 m altitude. In Ethiopia it grows between 1,600-2,200 m above sea level. It suits hardiness zones 8-11.
Common Names: Bengal gram, But, Ceci, Chana, Chanaka, Chania, Channa, Chayote, Chhola, Chola, Chunna, Davulga, Egyptian pea, Garbanzo, Garvance, Hamsa, Harbara, Hiyoko mame, Hummus, Indian gram, Kadalai, Kadale, Kala-pe, Mukhudo, Myinsa-pe, Navadna čičerika, Nhana, Pitipoankarany, Pois chiche, Sanagalu, Singaung-pe, Ying zui dou
Synonyms:
Cicer album Hort.;
Cicer asiaticum;
Cicer grossum Salsib.;
Cicer nigrum Hort.;
Cicer orientale;
Cicer physodes Reichb.;
Cicer rotundum Alef.;
Cicer sativum Schkuhr.;
Ononis crotalarioides M. E. Jones;