Botany of Chickpea 3 Sobhan B. Sajja, Srinivasan Samineni and Pooran M. Gaur Abstract Chickpea is one of the important food legumes cultivated in several countries. It originated in the Middle East (area between south-eastern Turkey and adjoining Syria) and spread to European countries in the west to Myanmar in the east. It has several vernacular names in respective countries where it is cultivated or consumed. Taxonomically, chickpea belongs to the monogeneric tribe Cicereae of the family Fabaceae. There are nine annuals and 34 perennial species in the genus Cicer. The cultivated chickpea, Cicer arietinum, is a short annual herb with several growth habits ranging from prostrate to erect. Except the petals of the flower, all the plant parts are covered with glandular and non-glandular hairs. These hairs secrete a characteristic acid mixture which defends the plant against sucking pests. The stem bears primary, secondary and tertiary branches. The latter two branch types have leaves and flowers on them. Though single leaf also exists, compound leaf with 5–7 pairs of leaflets is a regular feature. The typical papilionaceous flower, with one big standard, two wings and two keel petals (boat shaped), has 9 + 1 diadelphous stamens and a stigma with 1–4 ovules. Anthers dehisce a day before the flower opens leading to self-pollination. In four weeks after pollination, pod matures with one to three seeds per pod. There is no dormancy in chickpea seed. Based on the colour of chickpea seed, it is desi type (dark-coloured seed) or kabuli type (beige-coloured seed). Upon sowing, germination takes a week time depending on the soil and moisture conditions. 3.1 Introduction Á Á & S.B. Sajja S. Samineni P.M. Gaur ( ) Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) is believed to have International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), Patancheru, India originated in the area between south-eastern e-mail: [email protected] Turkey and adjoining Syria (van der Maesen © Springer International Publishing AG 2017 13 R.K. Varshney et al. (eds.), The Chickpea Genome, Compendium of Plant Genomes, DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-66117-9_3 14 S.B. Sajja et al. 1987) for the fact that three closely related wild Iran, Afghanistan and in parts of Soviet Union. annual species of chickpea, C. bijugum, C. The Sanskrit name for chickpea is chennuka, and echinospermum and C. reticulatum, are found hence, the name chana in the Sanskrit-derived there. Of the three, C. reticulatum is considered languages such as Hindi (van der Maesen 1987). to be the progenitor of the cultivated chickpea (Cicer arietinum). Holm (1920) reported that the generic name was proposed by Pliny and the 3.2 Taxonomy specific name by Dodonaeus which were accep- ted by Linnaeus. The Latin words Cicer and Initially, chickpea was a part of the tribe Viciae, arietinum were derived from the Greek words but due to its distinct characters, it was included Kikus meaning ‘force of strength’ and Krios in a new monogeneric tribe Cicereae later referring to ram, respectively, because of the (Kupicha 1977). The detailed taxonomic infor- similarity between seed shape and the head of a mation on chickpea (http://plants.usda.gov/core/ ram (Aries) (van der Maesen 1987). profile?symbol=CIAR5) is given below: Common names: From its place of origin, Kingdom Plantae chickpea spread in both directions—European Subkingdom Tracheobionta countries in the west and up to India, later to Superdivision Spermatophyta Myanmar in the east. Several of the vernacular Division Magnoliophyta names were derived from its generic name, Class Magnoliopsida Cicer, the exceptions being garbanzo and gara- Subclass Rosidae banzo (Spanish), garvanche, garvance and gar- Order Fabales avane (French) and Garabanze (German). These Family Fabaceae (Leguminosae) vernacular names include pois chiche, pois ciche, Subfamily Faboideae (Papilionaceae) ciche, césé,céséron, cicérole, ciserolle, seses Tribe Cicereae (French); Kicherebse, Kicher, Chicher, Chi- Genus Cicer china, Chichuria, Cicererbis, Cisa, Cyfer, Czy- cke and Keicheren, Kekeren, Keyker, Kicher(n) The genus Cicer has 9 annuals and 34 perennial kraut, Kicherling, Sisern, Sekern, Venuskicher, species. Based on the morphology, geographical Ziesererbsen, Zisererwedsen, Ziser and Ziser- distribution and lifespan, the genus Cicer was bohne (German); and Keker, kekererwt, kicher, divided into four sections (van der Maesen 1987 & kikkererwt and cicererwt, citsers, sisser and sis- http://www.nipgr.res.in/NGCPCG/Taxonomy. sererwt (Dutch) among others. The English html). word, chickpea, was actually derived from chich- pea, referring to Cicer-pea. Chickpea was also Section Species Lifespan Morphology described as a variety of pea which included pois included bécu, pois blanc, pois de brebis, poisbreton, pois Monocicer C. arietinum Annual Firm erect or horizontal stems chabot, pois citron, pois cornu, pois gris, pois C. reticulatum Annual Branching from pontu, pois tete de belier (French); Egyptian pea C. Annual base or middle (English); hamoos pea (Arabic); Fontanellerbse, echinospermum graue Erbsen, Malagaerbsen (German); and C. pinnatifidum Annual ovetche harokh or puzirnyi gorokh (Russian). C. judaicum Annual Some of the names refer chickpea as ‘coffee pea’ C. bijugum Annual because of its use in preperation of coffee which C. yamashitae Annual includes Kaffeeerbse deutsche or franzosische C. cuneatum Annual Kaffeebohne, deutscher Kaffee (German); pois Chamaecicer C. Annual Thin stem chorassanicum Creepers with cafe (French); kahviherne (Finnish) and Kaffeart small flowers C. incisum Perennial (Swedish). Chickpea is called as nakhut, nohut or (continued) nut, naut or nohot in Turkey, Romania, Bulgaria, 3 Botany of Chickpea 15 Section Species Lifespan Morphology 3.3 Morphology included Polycicer C. anatolicum Perennial Leaf rachis ends Plant: Cicer arietinum is a short annual herb, in a tendril or a C. atlanticum Perennial leaflet. Again attaining a height of less than a metre. Depending C. balcaricum Perennial divided into two on the angle of the branches and the soil surface, subsections: C. Perennial ‘ Nano-polycicer the plant assumes erect, semi-erect, spreading, baldshuanicum and semi-spreading and prostrate’ growth habit. C. canariense Perennial Macro-polycicer. Branching starts from the base at ground level C. fedtschenkoi Perennial Members of Nano-polycicer giving plant a bushy appearance (Fig. 3.1). fl C. exuosum Perennial subsection have The plant surface including roots, stem, leaves C. floribundum Perennial creeping rhizome, short stem, and pods are pubescent, covered with glandular C. graecum Perennial imparipinnate and non-glandular hairs. The glandular hairs C. grande Perennial leaves, weak and short arista. secrete a mixture of acids containing malic, C. Perennial Species in oxalic and citric acids. This acid mixture acts as a heterophyllum Macro-polycicer C. isauricum Perennial subsection have defence mechanism against sucking pests. The non-creeping exudation from the roots helps in solubilizing the C. kermanense Perennial short rhizome, C. korshinskyi Perennial stems growing to soil nutrients (Fig. 3.2). 75 cm, firm arista fi C. Perennial Stem: The stem is rm due to hypodermal which is longer fl microphyllum than pedicel collenchyma, angular with ribs, straight or ex- C. Perennial uous and pubescent. The plant produces three mogoltavicum types of branches—primary, secondary and ter- C. montbretii Perennial tiary. The lowest nodes of the plant produce 1–8 C. multijugum Perennial primary branches. Alternately, the primary C. nuristanicum Perennial branches may arise from seed shoot as well. The C. oxydon Perennial primary branches are thick, woody with thick C. paucijugum Perennial cuticle, and often mistaken for the main stem. C. rassuloviae Perennial The secondary branches arise from the buds on C. songaricum Perennial the primary branches and are comparatively thin. C. spiroceras Perennial These branches bear the leaves and flowers. C. subaphyllum Perennial Depending on the genotype and growing condi- Acanthocicer C. Perennial Branched stems tions, tertiary branches may or may not be pre- acanthophyllum with woody base Persistent spiny sent. The plant grows to a height of up to 100 cm C. incanum Perennial leaf rachis generally and occasionally reaching 150 cm C. Perennial Spiny calyx teeth macracanthum Large flowers depending on the growing conditions. C. pungens Perennial Leaf: The compound leaves contain 5–7 pairs C. rechingeri Perennial of hairy leaflets per leaf, opposite or alternate, and C. stapfianum Perennial the rachis ends in a leaflet (imparipinnate). The C. Perennial leaflets are oval or elliptic in shape with serrated tragacanthoides margins. Simple leaf types also exist (Fig. 3.3). *C. laetum Root: The root system is characterized by a *Details are not available at present thick tap root with several side roots developing into a robust system. The epidermis is hairy, 16 S.B. Sajja et al. Fig. 3.1 Chickpea plant at 30 days after sowing Imparipinnate leaf Primary branch Branching starƟng at surface level Tap root Rhizobium root nodule Side roots exodermis is absent, and endodermis is thin. The line up to fertilization, and then the pedicel bends presence of nodules on roots indicates symbiotic down (Fig. 3.5). relationship between chickpea and the Rhizo- Flower: The flower can be described as reg- bium bacteria (Mesorhizobium ciceri) leading to ular, bisexual, with five fused hairy sepals in a biological nitrogen fixation. The tap root system single whorl which form a calyx tube,