Cajanus cajan - Adhaki, Pegion pea

Cajanus cajan L

The Cajanus cajan is a perennial legume from the Fabaceae family. Since its domestication in India at least 3,500 years ago, its seeds have become a common food in Asia, Africa, and Latin America.

Uses

Jaundice, Stomachache, Diabetes, Purifying blood, Piles, Tongue sores, Gum inflammation, Spongy gums, Bedsores, Wounds, Malaria.

Parts Used

Seeds, Leaves.

Chemical Composition

Chemical constituent investigations have indicated that Cajanus cajan leaves are rich in flavonoids and stilbenes. They also contain saponins, conspicuous amount of tannins, and moderate quantities of reducing sugars, resins and terpenoid. Amino acid analysis of the seed extract showed that phenylalanine (26.3% of the total amino acids) is responsible for about 70% of the antisickling potency of the seed extract. Seeds also contain riboflavin and pyridoxine. Root bark contains isoflavones, sterols, triterpenoids, flavones, anthraquinone derivatives. Plant also contains an isoflavone, cajanol.

Common names

Language	Common name
Kannada	Togari, Kari Uddu, Togaribele
Hindi	Arahad, Arahar
Malayalam	Thuvara, Tuvara
Tamil	Tovarai, Thovary
Telugu	Kandulu, Kadulu
Marathi	NA
Gujarathi	NA
Punjabi	NA
Kashmiri	NA
Sanskrit	Tuvari, Adhaki
English	Pigeon Pea, Red Gram

Habit

A small erect shrub

Identification

Leaf

Kind	Shape	Feature
Simple	tri-foliolate,lanceolate	Leafs are 2.5-13.5 cm long to 1-5.5 cm wide. The leaflets are green above and a silvery grey-green beneath and are covered on their lower surfaces in small yellow glands

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Flower

Type	Size	Color and composition	Stamen	More information
Unisexual	14cm long	yellow, papilionaceous	Typical of species belonging to the Leguminosae subfamily Papilionoideae, and resemble, for example, the pea ( Pisum sativum ) flower. Each flower has 10 stamens, 9 of which are fused into a partial tube, with the tenth stamen free. The ovary is positioned above the sepals, petals and stamens. The style is curved	{{{5}}}

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Fruit

Type	Size	Mass	Appearance	Seeds	More information
straight or sickle	2-13 cm long x 0.5-1.5 cm	The seeds are 4-9 mm x 3-8 mm and can be white, brown, purplish, black or mottled.	many seeds	{{{5}}}	{{{6}}}

List of Ayurvedic medicine in which the herb is used

• Vishatinduka Taila as root juice extract

Mode of Propagation

Seeds, Cuttung.

How to plant/cultivate

Seed germinate in about 2 weeks. Quite frequently (in India) pigeon pea is grown mixed with other crops or grown in alternate rows with rows of sorghum, groundnuts, sesame, cotton, pineapples, millets or maize.For pure crops pigeon pea should be sown 2.5–5 cm deep in rows 40–120 cm by 30–60 cm.About 3–4 seeds may be planted in each hill, and later thinned to 2 plants per hill. About 3–4 seeds may be planted in each hill, and later thinned to 2 plants per hill. Plants show little response to fertilizers.

Commonly seen growing in areas

Semi-arid tropics, Humid areas, Cold-free zones.

Photo Gallery

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  Whole tree

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  Nuts

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  Fruit

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  Seeds

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  At feild

External Links

• Pigeon pea on Agropedia
• Pigeon pea on PlantVillage
• Cajanus cajun - purdue.edu
• Cajanus cajun on Feedipedia