CSIR-NEERI Biodiversity Portal

Pigeon Pea

Cajanus cajan(L.) Millsp.

Botanical name	: Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp..
Common Name	: Pigeon pea/ Toor dal
Family	: Fabaceae
Synonym	: Cystisus cajan L.
About	: Cajanus cajan is a glandular-pubescent, short-lived perennial (1-5 years) shrub, usually single stemmed, freely branching, and become woody after a few months.1-4 m high, with thin roots up to 2 m deep. Stem up to 15 cm in diameter, branches many, slender. Leaf rachis 1-2 cm long, petiolate, stipules acuminate, 2.5-5 mm long, persistent. Leaflets lanceolate or narrowly elliptic, 2.5 to 9 cm long, the center leaflet being slightly longer than the lateral. Acute apically, venation strongly reticulate, prominent underneath. The 5-12 flowered racemes are axillary about 2 cm long, yellow bracteates, calyx tube 3-5 mm long, glandular and pubescent, petals vexillary, mostly with reddish striate, glabrous, about 14 mm long. Fruit a pod (legume) flattened, somewhat constricted between seeds ,bivalved, about 4 to 8 cm long, 1 cm wide, 3-4 mm thick; upper suture swollen, mottled bronze-purple when immature, drying to brown . Contain 1-5, various colours compressed, about 7-8mm, 6 mm broad seeds. It contains high protein. Pigeon pea probably originated in India, but may have come from Africa. Both are centers of diversity for the genus Cajanus. It is used medicinally against gastrointestinal diseases.