Pigeon Pea (Cajanus Cajan (L.) Millsp.) Syn. Cajanus Indicus Spreng

-



Taxonomic Classification
Kingdom: Planate
Division: Magnoliophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida
Subclass: Asteridae
Order: Solanales
Family: Leguminosae
Genus: Cajanus
Species: C. cajan

C. cajan is a woody, short-lived perennial shrub, but sometimes grown as an annual. The plant reaches 1-4m in height and has a deep tap-root with longer laterals.

Morphological Characters

Stem: The young stems are angled and hairy.

Leaves: Leaves are trifoliate and spirally arranged with a phyllotaxy of 2/5. They tend to be deciduous. The leaf petiole is grooved above. Stipules are small and hairy and the stipples are small. Puluvinus is present at the base of petiole and at the base of leaflets. Leaflets are lanceolate to narrow elliptic in shape, entire, acute at both ends and hairy on both surfaces. The lower surface of the leaflets is grey color with minute yellow resinous glands. The terminal leaflet is larger and longer-stalked than the short-stalked laterals.

Flowers: The plant has small, terminal and/or axillaries racemes with several flowers. The flowers are about 2.5cm in length. There are four calyx lobes and the upper two are united. The standard of the corolla is auricled, yellow, red or purple. Keel and wings are yellow and of equal length. The keel is incurved at the apex. There is a free vexillary stamen with the rest are joined to each other. The ovary and the base of the style are hairy and the stigma is knob-shaped.

Fruit: A flattened pod with diagonal depressions between seeds. The pods are 2-8 seeded beaked, hairy, green or dark maroon or blotched with maroon.
Seeds vary in size, shape and color, usually round or oval, white, grayish, red, brown, purplish or speckled.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Sri Lanka Python (Python Molurus Pimbura)

-
Image
Sinhalese: Dhara Pimbura, Ran Pimbura, Pimbura Tamil: Periya Pambu, Malai Pambu, Kaloodai Viriyan. Description: A huge snake which can grow to 8 meters, but usually average about 5.5 meters. Pythons have teeth, a very sensitive tongue, and jaws which can separate to enable them to swallow large prey. Distribution: Found in the jungles of the low country; occasionally in the lower hills hills and often near water. Habits: The python is diurnal, nocturnal and solitary. They swim well, can climb trees and are not venomous. Their food consists of small to medium sized animals which they catch using their teeth, kill by constriction and swallow whole once once the prey is dead. If the meal is substantial the python does not need to feed again for 4 or more months. They have good sight over short distances, are deaf, but can feel vibrations through the ground. Their extremely sensitive tongues can sense loud noises and convey smells to the scent organ in the roof of t...
Read more

Sri Lanka Small Civet-Cat (Viverricula Indica Mayori)

-
Image
Sinhalese:  Urulava Tamil: Poolu poona, Veeregu Description: The civet-cat is easily identified by its black and white ringed tail and dark spotted grey body. The adult male, which is slightly larger than the female, has an overall length of about 84 cms. Distribution: found in jungles and scrub throughout the island except in the highest hills. Habits: The civet-cat is mainly nocturnal but not entirely so, usually spending the day living up in some patch of undergrowth. Its food consists of birds, small animals, insects, frogs etc, and also some roots and fruits. Breeding: The birth takes place in a cavity at the end of a short tunnel which is often dug in a bank, or under some large rocks or tree. 3 to 5 young are born.
Read more

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

-
Image
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 s...
Read more