Lens culinaris Medik.Family: Leguminosae
Synonyms: Ervum lens L., Ervum lens Wall., Lens culinaris subsp. culinaris, Lens esculenta Moench, Lens lens Huth, Vicia lens (L.) Coss. & Germ.
Common name: Common Lentil
Chinese: 扁豆
Finnish: Linssi
French: Lentille culinaire
German: Linse
Hindi: मसूर
Kannada: ಮಸೂರ ಅವರೆ
Oriya: ମସୁର (ଡାଲି)
Sinhala: මසූර්
Turkish: Mercimek
Desctiption: Annual, Herbs, Taproot present, Nodules present, Stems erect or ascending, Stems or branches arching, spreading or decumbent, Stems prostrate, trailing, or mat forming, Stems less than 1 m tall, Climbing by tendrils, Stems solid, Stems or young twigs sparsely to densely hairy, Stems hairs pilose or spreading, Leaves alternate, Leaves petiolate, Stipules conspicuous, Stipules green, triangulate to lanceolate or foliaceous, Stipules persistent, Stipules free, Leaves compound, Leaves even pinnate, Leaf or leaflet margins entire, Leaflets opposite, Leaflets 5-9, Leaflets 10-many, Leaves glabrous or nearly so, Leaves hairy on one or both surfaces, Flowers solitary in axils, or appearing solitary, Flowers in axillary clusters or few-floweredracemes, 2-6 flowers, Inflorescence axillary, Bracts very small, absent or caducous, Flowers zygomorphic, Calyx 5-lobed, Calyx gla brous, Petals separate, Corolla papilionaceous, Petals clawed, Petals white, Petals blue, lavander to purple, or violet, Banner petal ovoid or obovate, Banner petal suborbicular, broadly rounded, Wing petals narrow, oblanceolate to oblong, Wing tips obtuse or rounded, Stamens 9-10, Stamens diadelphous, 9 united, 1 free, Filaments glabrous, Style flattened, Style sharply bent, Style hairy, Style hairy on one side only, Style persistent in fruit, Fruit a legume, Fruit unilocular, Fruit freely dehiscent, Fruit oblong or ellipsoidal, Fruit exserted from calyx, Fruit glabrous or glabrate, Fruit 2-seeded, Seeds ovoid to rounded in outline, Seed surface smooth, Seeds olive, brown, or black.
The seeds are mucilaginous and laxative. They are considered to be useful in the treatment of constipation and other intestinal affections; made into a paste, they are a useful cleansing application in foul and indolent ulcers. [Edible Medicinal and Non-Medicinal
Plants Vol-2]
Seeds—mostly used as a pulse. Contain as much as 30% proteins (similar to those of peas and beans). Soup is used in gastric troubles and constipation. Paste or poultice is applied to foul and indolent ulcers. [Indian Medicinal Plants An Illustrated Dictionary]
78 Published articles of Lens culinaris
