Pigeon pea

Pigeon pea ( Cajanus cajan )

The pigeon pea ( Cajanus cajan ) is a species in the subfamily Fabaceae ( Faboideae ) within the legume family ( Fabaceae or Leguminosae). This crop is cultivated in many parts of the tropics and subtropics.

Description

Appearance and leaf

The pigeon pea is an erect shrub or subshrub, the plant height usually 1.5 to 3 m, rarely, 4 m can be achieved. The bark of the branches is striking ribbed and hairy with gold, abutting or slightly protruding, silky trichomes.

The leaves are pinnate three parts. The partial leaves are 2.5 to 10 cm long, 1.4 to 3.5 cm wide, elliptic to lanceolate, acuminate wedge-shaped, the top is colored green, the underside is paler and silvery gray-green. The hair on the top is made of fine, short, velvety hair, the bottom is significantly longer occupied with whitish hairs. On both leaf surfaces are small yellowish glands. The Blattaderung comes out on the bottom and is yellowish. The petiole is 1 to 5.5 cm long, 0.8 to 1.3 cm blade axis, the petioles of the leaves part of 2 to 4 mm. Petiole, leaf axis ( Blattrhachis ) and Teilblattstielchen are hairy yellow-brown.

Inflorescence and flower

The terminal inflorescence Rispige is accompanied by a variety of standing near the branch tip, axillary racemose inflorescences constant. The peduncle is 2-7 cm long. The early falling bracts are pointed ovate and 8 mm long and 5 mm wide. The flower stems are 1 to 1.7 cm long. All parts of the inflorescence are hairy yellow-brown.

The hermaphrodite flowers are zygomorphic and fünfzählig double perianth. The calyx consists of a 5 mm long calyx tube, connect to which 4-7 mm long calyx teeth, the calyx is hairy and glandular yellow brown. The corollas possess the typical structure of the butterfly flower. The basic color of the petals is yellow with red-brown to dark red stripes, the outer surface is also tinged again in a similar color. The crown is almost circular with a diameter of 1.2 to 1.7 cm. The wings are yellow and the boat is yellow - green.

Fruit and seed

The legumes are straw-colored, but often purple-black coated, hairy and glandular. They are virtually straight, 4.5 to 10 cm long and 0.8 to 1.4 ( often even 0.5 ) inches in diameter. The seeds are yellowish brown, cream, brown or reddish with a maroon hilum, they are weak and fine- grained, 6 to 6.5 mm long and 4.5 to 5.5 mm wide.

Occurrence

The pigeon pea is cultivated in many parts of the tropics and subtropics and is found at altitudes between sea level and 1450 meters, but probably also grows at higher altitudes. Wild it grows on garbage dumps, open, coastal forest areas and other locations.

Swell

• B. Mackinder, R. Pasquet, R. Polhill and B. Verdcourt: Cajanus cajan. In: Flora Zambesiaca, Volume 3, Part 5, 2001.
• S. I. Ali: description in the Flora of Pakistan. (English )