Vigna mungo (L.) Hepper – Black gram Syn. Phaseolus mungo L.

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Taxonomic classification

          Kingdom: Plantae
            Division: Magnoliophyta
            Class: Magnoliopsida
            Subclass: Asteridae
            Order: Solanales
            Family: Leguminosae
            Genus: Vigna
            Species: V.mungo


V.mungo is one of the most highly-priced pulses of India, especially in the vegetarian diet. It is a diffusely branched, herbaceous annual with reddish brown hairs.  



Various cultivars are recognized

1. Early-maturing cultivars, which have larger, black seeds

2. Late-maturing cultivars, which have smaller, olive-green seeds 


Morphological characters  



Stem: This is a diffusely branched, erect or sub-erect plant. The height ranges from 20-80cm.


Leaves: The leaf is trifoliate with a long petiole. The stipules are ovate. 

Flowers: The inflorescence is borne axillary and may have 2-3 branches. Five to six flowers are clustered at the top of the short hairy peduncle. The peduncle is elongated in the fruit. The calyx bracts (bracteoles) are longer than the calyx. The corolla is pale yellow and the keel is spirally coiled. Stamens are diadelphous and the style is spirally twisted.
 

Fruit: The fruit is a dark brown hairy pod with a short hooked beak. This contains 6-10 oblong black or green seeds with square ends.

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