Food Plants International - Plant Fact Sheets Trigonella foenum-graecum
Edible : Seeds, Leaves, Herb, Spice, Young pods, Vegetable,
A small herb. It grows up to 30-60 cm tall. It spreads 20-30 cm wide. It grows each year from seed. The leaves have 3 leaflets like clover. The leaflets are oval and do not have stalks. They are 1.3-2.7 cm long by 0.5-1.7 cm wide. They are spoon shaped with teeth and a rounded tip. They narrow towards the base. The leaves are light green. The flowers are small and pea like. They are yellow. The fruit is a long narrow pod. It has a pronounced beak. The seeds are like small golden brown pieces of gravel.
It suits dry temperate and subtropical regions. It needs a well-drained soil. It needs a sunny position. In Nepal they grow up to 2500 m altitude. It can tolerate frost. It can grow in acid, neutral and alkaline soils. It can grow in salty soils. It grows in areas with an annual rainfall between 380-1,530 mm. It can grow in arid places. It suits hardiness zones 9-11. Hobart Botanical Gardens. In Sichuan.
Common names : Fenugreek, Alba, Alholva, Asumodhagam, Bhaji, Bird's foot, Bockshornklee, Cemenotu, Chandrika, Cow's horn, Fenogreco, Fenugrec, Fieno greco, Goat's horn, Greek hay seed, Helbeh, Hilbah, Hilbeh, Ho-lo-ba, Hoemgreeb, Houjeh, Ku tou, Manthya, Menk-palle, Mente, Mentesoppu, Mentikoora, Mentulu, Methi ka saag, Methi sak, Methi-shak, Methi, Methika, Methini, Methuka, Mnogosemenski triplat, Muthi, Pe-natha, Uluhaal, Uluva, Vandeyam, Venthiam,
Synonyms :
Trigonella tibetana (Alef.) Vassilcz.;