HerbCultivatedAnnualMedicinal

Cicer arietinum L.

Channy · Chickpea

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Description

Cicer arietinum is an annual herbaceous legume, usually 30–70 cm tall, with an erect to spreading growth habit. The stems are branched, glandular-hairy, and green to greyish-green. Leaves are compound, alternate, and imparipinnate, consisting of several pairs of small leaflets with a terminal leaflet. Leaflets are elliptic to ovate, 5–15 mm long, with serrated margins and glandular hairs. Flowers are solitary, axillary, bisexual, and papilionaceous, usually white, pink, or light purple depending on cultivar. The corolla consists of a standard, wings, and keel petals. Fruits are small inflated pods, usually containing one or two seeds. Seeds are rounded, angular, cream, brown, or black depending on variety.

Diagnostic Characters

Vegetative

Annual herb. Glandular hairy stems and leaves. Compound leaves with many small leaflets.

Floral

Small pea-like flowers. White to pink-purple corolla.

Fruit & Seed

Short inflated pods. One to two edible seeds.

Distribution

Native range: Origin Southwest Asia, Mediterranean region. Cultivated worldwide in South Asia, Middle East, Mediterranean, Americas.

In Pakistan: Major crop in Pakistan.

Phenology

Flowering

Fruiting

Flowering: February–April Fruiting: April–May

Ethnobotany & Uses

Food Importance

Chickpea is one of the world's most important pulse crops. Uses Whole seeds, Flour (besan), Sprouts, Traditional foods. Rich in Protein, Dietary fibre, Minerals.

Agricultural Importance

Nitrogen-fixing crop. Improves soil fertility. Important rotational crop.

Medicinal Importance

Reported benefits include Blood sugar regulation, Cardiovascular health support, Nutritional improvement. Contains Flavonoids, Protein-derived bioactive compounds.

UniFlora AI Assistant

Ask about Channy

Hello! I'm UniFlora AI. Ask me anything about Channy (*Cicer arietinum*) — identification tips, flowering season, uses, campus locations, or taxonomy.

Where it grows on campus

This species is on the campus floristic list but was not pinned during the GPS mapping survey, so it has no map records yet.

Taxonomic Notes

Cicer arietinum is the only widely cultivated species of the genus Cicer. It is recognized by Small glandular hairy leaves, Solitary papilionaceous flowers, Characteristic chickpea seeds, UniFlora Field Recognition Tip 🌿. Look for 🌱 Small hairy herb, 🍃 Many small leaflets.